One For The Road
by kamiikiteiru
Summary: John wakes up after the events of Bad Timing to find himself under the care of an unknown species without any of his senses, memory or any sign of Aeryn.
1. Can You Hear Me Now?

Disclaimer: I do not own Farscape or anything pertaining to Farscape. I just like to play with them.

This was my first Farscape fanfic so be easy…I was a newbie when I wrote this.

**One For the Road Part 1: Can You Hear Me now?**

_**John slowly let his hands run through her raven colored hair and watched as the strands fell back down against his lap. Her eyes were closed, but he knew she wasn't asleep. She was simply enjoying the moment. Quiet. Not something that they got a lot of on Moya, but today had been uneventful and they had taken the chance to sneak off on their own. A long sigh escaped his lips and a smile crossed her face, as she understood why. Life was perfect in every sense of the word. How could it not be when you found yourself sitting under the stars with the most beautiful woman lying with her head in your lap? Your wife, the woman who carried your child inside her. His hand slipped from her hair and found its way to her extended abdomen. She moved his hand over to the side where he immediately felt the movement of his child. **_

"_**He's on this side today." She whispered, her eyes still closed. **_

_**A look of amusement she didn't see was his only reply. She always called the baby a "he". She had told him she was sure it was a boy. He on the other hand was leaning toward a girl. Not that it mattered. He'd be happy with either, but she was adamant saying he had no idea what he was talking about. She kept telling him he would see in the end. In which he would just smile and let her go without telling her that technically it was 50-50 so if she was right it didn't really mean anything.**_

"_**We need to get back, John." She opened her eyes and looked up into his.  
**_

"_**And why would we want to do that?"  
**_

"_**Because we have things to do."  
**_

"_**We?"  
**_

"_**You."  
**_

"_**Me?"  
**_

"_**You, John." She pulled her pulse pistol out of its holster and pressed it against his chest.  
**_

"_**You and your timing." She smiled as she pulled the trigger.**_

* * *

John's eyes jerked open. Blackness. There was nothing to see, but pitch-black darkness. But the room wasn't dark; he could feel light on his skin coming from somewhere. He blinked one…twice…three times. He couldn't see. He was blind. He tried to raise himself up, but found he was being held down.

"_This is not good."_ He thought. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"_Also not good."_ He couldn't see or speak and if there was any noise he couldn't hear it. He was also very aware that he was naked.

"_Think John. What can you do? Nothing. As usual you are in the worst situation, naked because this is your life, and you can't do jack squat. What's the last thing you can remember? Nothing. Your mind is blank. Well isn't that the icing on the cake. Oh, oh and there is definitely something touching your leg."_

"Your dreams are quite humorous, Human. Do all of your species represent guilt and fear with mental cognitions during your sleep cycle?" A voice called out.

"_Oh, good John, you're not deaf."_

"Actually your hearing is impaired," Whoever it was sounded far away despite the fact he could feel it touching his legs.

"_Excuse me? Did I say that out loud?"_

"Negative. Your physical exterior is still readjusting and your senses are currently still off line."

"_What do you mean readjusting? Readjusting to what?"_

"You should go back into your sleep cycle, Human. When your sight returns, it would be most unpleasant to be awake."

"_What the hell is going on?"_

"The sight receptors can be quite painful."

"_I want some answers now!"_

"I really must urge you to go back into your sleep cycle human. Here, I will assist you." John felt a pinch in his left arm before he lost consciousness.

* * *

"Human? Human?"

"_Go away. You're not real. This is a dream…or one hell of a hangover."_

"I assure you I am not a fabrication of your higher functioning cranial organ."

"_Say what?"_

"You should be able to open your sight receivers now." John slowly opened one eye, but quickly closed it from the light. He opened it again slightly allowing it to get used to the light before opening the other.

"_What's with the ultraviolet light?"_

"Your eyes have not been used for fifteen solar days; they are not used to normal light levels." John raised his head slightly, as much as the restraints that held him would let him raise his head anyway. Oh, boy he was definitely naked. Out and about in all his glory in front of…what he could only describe as a Sebacean experiment gone wrong. It was still examining his legs.

"_Back off buddy."_ The creature took a step back.

"Are your sight receptors working properly?"

"_Who are you? How did I get here?"_ The creature approached him and looked deeply into his eyes.

"Pupil dilation is satisfactory. I can help your other senses return now that sight is restored."

"_Wait, wait, wait a minute! Return? Why are they gone?"_

"Side effects from particle expansion."

"_What do you mean side effects from particle expansion?"_

"Your physical being was separated. I united it again."

"_Oh well, as long as we're on the same page! What is that supposed to mean?"_

"I detect mockery, Human. Does this not compute?"

"_No it doesn't compute! What do you mean you united me?"_

"Sorry, will speak simpler. I believe you would say you were…blown up."

"_Blown up? I was blown up?"_

"You ask many questions human."

"_Gee I'm sorry. I guess I'm not used to waking up in Frankenstein's lab without any of my working senses!" _

"Mockery again"

"_Can't get anything past you, huh, Copernicus?"_

"I am going to try to stimulate your vocalization now, human." The creature, ignoring John's last statement, picked up something that John was pretty sure was going to hurt him. He closed his eyes and waited for whatever the creature was going to do. He really couldn't do much else at the moment.

"_How can you hear me if I can't speak, anyway?"_

"I cannot. You make no audible noise and therefore I hear nothing, you can only articulate through thoughts."

"_You're reading my mind?"_

"Affirmative. Once I stimulate your vocalization and hearing, I will leave your mind and will communicate normally." John watched as the creature put the unknown device to his neck.

"_This is going to hurt isn't it?"_

"Pain should be minimal."

"_They always say that."_ He felt a sick-sliding motion as something inserted into his neck.

"_Okay, not so bad."_ The device sent a jolt into his tissue.

"_Ahhhhhhhhhh…My God!"_

"Apologies." The creature slid the device out of his neck and pressed some sort of material against him to stop the bleeding

"_You lied."_

"No matter. Do not try to speak yet. I will stimulate your hearing now." The creature took the same device and John felt the sick-sliding again, but this time in his ear.

"_You know people have nightmares about stuff like this."_

"As I communicated before you represent guilt and fear with mental cognitions during your sleep cycle. Does all your species do this?"

"_Yes." _

"To what purpose?" The creature jolted John again.

"_Ahhhhh…would you quit that!"_

"Apologies. You were saying?"

"_It's a subconscious thing. We can't control it."_

"Peculiar. I find you sleep cycle interesting. To torture yourself with such images seems primitive. You may try to speak now."

"Yeah, well that's a human for you." John almost didn't realize he had spoken that out loud. The creature smiled its approval.

"Don't you think it's a little invasive to watch someone else's dream?"

"Usually I would not partake in such a mind reading, but your cognition while in sleep cycle was quite intriguing."

"I don't even remember dreaming."

"Your memory is affected. Usually I let this come on its own, but I can help it along if you so choose."

"What does that involve?"

"It is painless I assure you."

"Like the jolty thingy?"

"No, that was a necessary falsehood to gain your cooperation. Regaining memories can be overwhelming depending on the memories themselves, but painless. I simply awaken certain memories that your mind has emotional attachment to from the last cycle or so. Every other memory you possess will return as your memory sensors awaken." John nodded his approval.

"Please, close your sight receptors." The creature put its hands on John's head. An immediate large flash filled his brain.

**"Aeryn…you've come back."** Flash

"**I'm so sorry."  
"Yeah…me too."  
"Cause you don't…trust me. So I don't know how to trust you."  
"I think I've earned your trust."  
"I would put my life…in your hands…but not my heart."** Flash.

"**I just caught this apothecary placing drugs in your quarters. She says they help you forget Aeryn."  
"They just dull the pain."  
"Do they work?"  
"When I double the dose, yeah."  
"How much perspective have you lost? You know if you take anything this witch gives you you halve the dose.  
"D'Argo…it ain't none of your business so forget about it."** Flash

"**Oh, baby, you had me at hello."  
"Rank and regiment. Now. And how…do you know my name?"  
"What you should really ask…is how I know you've got a birthmark on the sweet spot on your hip."** Flash

"**Do you want me to go back to Moya?"  
"We've already talked about this. It's entirely up to you."  
"Fine. I'll go with what you prefer. Look I'm not trying to…pressure you John. I'm actually trying to take the pressure off. Would you be happier if I wasn't here on Earth? You don't have to justify it or explain it. Just give me an honest yes or no."** Flash

"**You tell my grandkids about me."  
"Hah. That's a no-brainer. They gotta know who my hero is."  
"Your gonna find when you have your own, you want 'em to pass you. Be better, climb higher. I guess if that's the measure, I'm…the greatest dad on Earth."  
"I love you dad."  
"You're the heart and soul of my life son. I love you."** Flash

"**When I was on the command carrier, I went to see a surgeon. I was really worried about what the Scarrans did to me. The fetus has been released from its stasis. So I'm going to have a baby."  
"You okay?" Aeryn nodded her head.  
"And the baby?"  
"It's yours. I just wanted to tell you. Hope it doesn't change anything."  
"Umm…well, it changes everything."** Flash

"**Will you marry me?"  
"Yes."** Flash

"**You and your timing."  
"I love you."** Flash

John felt the chills run down his back. It was like the opening of floodgates. It was every awful, violent, happy moment he had ever lived all at once. His mom, Livvy, Dad, Farscape, Moya, Aeryn. His breath caught in his throat. Aeryn. He had forgotten her. She was his hope, his heart, his life, his everything and her memory had been taken from him. He clenched his fists, unable to show his anger in any other way.

"What the hell did you do to us?"

"I did nothing, Human. I did not separate your particles. I simply united them again."

"Aeryn…" he stopped, realizing this creature had no idea what he was talking about.

"The female that was with me, what happened to her? Did you put her back together too?"

"Negative. I only received one being to unite."

"There was a woman with me. She should of…she would have been with me." He struggled against his restraints.

"I know nothing of the matter."

"What happened to her?"

"I am sorry you are grieved Human, but I speak the truth. You were brought to me alone."

"Who brought me to you?"

"I cannot say."

"Who?!"

"I cannot say."

"WHO?"

"I think you have had enough stimuli for the moment Human." The creature shot John in his arm with something and his head fell against the table as he lost consciousness.


	2. And Baby Makes Two

**One For The Road Part 2: And Baby Makes Two**

John Crichton found himself waking up in a strange place for the second time in the same day. He was thankful that not only was all his senses in working order this time, but someone had taken off his restraints and clothed him. It didn't change the situation he found himself in, but it was an improvement. He took a look around the room as he slowly rose from the cot. He felt sore. Funny, considering he had spent the last…what had the creature said…fifteen solar days just lying in pieces. Fifteen solar days. To him it had just been seconds. He closed his eyes. His memory was telling him it hadn't been that long since he had been with Aeryn. Since he found out the baby was his. Since she had said she would marry him. And now here he was prisoner who knew where and he had no clue what had happened to her. Anger, hot burning anger raced through him. The fact that he had been blown to pieces didn't even touch his anger that she had met the same fate as well. He prayed she was okay. And if she wasn't…no, he wasn't going to consider that choice. Aeryn was fine. The baby was fine. They were going to be fine.

"The illustrious John Crichton." He turned his head toward the door to see who had interrupted his thoughts. He found he was being watched. She was leaning against the door frame, watching with her arms crossed in front of her. She was Sebacean and a Peacekeeper judging from her leathers.

"Do I know you?" He asked, already uninterested in her answer. Whatever he had done to piss her off that he would find himself in this situation, didn't matter.

"Technically no. Not many people in the universe have to meet you to know who are John. You have a rather notorious record." She was only half teasing, but his cold expression was a warning he was not in the mood to be pushed.

"Aren't you going to ask who I am? What my master plan for you is?" She teased again.

He didn't answer.

"Oh, come now John. Let's not start off on the wrong foot. If it wasn't for me you'd still be a pile of crystals, floating away on your little love boat."

"Am I supposed to be thanking you? Because that's the last thing on my mind right now." His angry reply did not go unnoticed, but she understood this was awkward for him. For both of them. For him because being crystallized and then being united was not part of a normal day and it was awkward for her because…well that didn't matter now.

"I didn't separate your particles, John. That would be the work of Scarrans. Apparently you got yourself on the top of their hit list. All I did was get you before they did. And believe me when I say you're a lot better off with me then them."

"What happened to Aeryn?" He said it slowly letting the anger seep through every word. He wasn't going to play games. He wanted Aeryn and he wanted her now.

"I want to make a deal. You help me out with a little problem I have and when it's done you and Aeryn can go."

"Where is she?"

"Aeryn is safe…for the moment."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that if you want her back then you better play nice."

"If you want me to do anything, you better tell me where she is."

"The question you should ask is not where she is, but what she is."

His face changed with the realization. "You haven't brought her back yet."

"No, and on whether I do depends on you."

"I'm not doing anything until you put her back together."

"John do you really think you're in control of this? I say and you do what I say, bottom line. You do what I want and you'll get her back. You don't and I flush her out to space in her current form."

"You do and I'll make sure you know what that feels like."

"Do we have a deal?" She asked ignoring his threat.

"What do you want?"

"What everyone wants from you. Wormhole knowledge."

"Not for sale."

"It is today. You are going to help me find the wormhole I need and then your free. That's it. How ever long it takes you to find what I need is all it's going to take. Then we go through and we're done."

"What do you mean we go through?"

"I'm not stupid John. You could send me anywhere with what you know. So you're going to go through with me. You take me where I want to go and then you're free to come back."

"And what am I supposed to be finding."

"Home."

"What does that mean?"

"It means John, that this is not my reality. I got stuck in this one and unlike you, I have not found any reason to stay here. I want to go back and you can get me there."

"You belong to a different reality?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you go the same way you came?"

"Doesn't work like that."

"Well how does it work?"

"What you know about wormholes is only a part of the big picture. You can do some things and you can't do others. I, can create a wormhole anywhere at any time, but I can't navigate one or know where it goes like you can."

"You have wormhole knowledge?"

"Like I said I only have a piece. What? You thought you were the special chosen one of the Ancients? Sorry John, but there are a million of us out there that have some piece of the puzzle to wormholes. Each one with different knowledge for different reasons."

"And you got yourself lost with yours."

"For the most part."

"And how do I fit in all this?"

"You share with me what you know and help me get back to where I belong. That's all. This wasn't some vendetta John. You just have what I need."

"Fine. But I want Aeryn put back now. No waiting. Or no deal."

She thought a minute. "Deal."

* * *

John stared at the pile of blue crystals that made up Aeryn. He had seen a lot over the last four cycles, but the fact that what he was looking at made up the woman he loved was beyond him. It scared him. The vulnerability. All it took was one tiny piece to be misplaced and Aeryn would be stuck like that. 

"Are you sure you want to watch. You look a little pale there John." The Sebacean, who he had learned was called Draforn, had turned back to her teasing after he had calmed down. Aeryn was going to be okay. That's all that mattered to him. From what he could tell, what she wanted him to do seemed painless and easy. Of course that should have been a warning sign in itself from what he knew of his luck.

"So where exactly are we?" He asked watching the creature from before, who he had also learned was called Baalex.

"Palkosa colony ship. Their a race that has mastered the art of reading other people's thoughts. They can pretty much do anything they want with their minds actually."

"The ESP gods of the universe. But your not one of them?"

"No. Special Peacekeeper Commando. Laction Company, Maspern Regiment."

So she was a Peacekeeper.

"The Palkosa found me when I first got lost in this reality." She continued.

"And their helping you get back?"

"Their a peaceful race, but are well sought out for what they can do. Not unlike you. So I helped them get away from a marauder that was tracking them, and now they feel they owe me."

"So they can be pretty dangerous if they wanted to."

"If your thinking you can get Aeryn and get off this ship without me allowing you to leave then, yes. Baalex here would know the minute you thought that and could kill you if I wanted him to."

"So how long is this united thing going to take." He ignored her statement. The thought would have crossed his mind at some point and he had to watch what he was thinking. He looked back at the crystals.

"Not long Human. I simply place the particles of your female into the particle expansion apparatus and she will be united." Baalex replied looking over the crystals.

"Her senses will be missing at first too, right?

"Affirmative. But I can do the same to her as I administered to you." Baalex picked up a mirror like sheet and placed it over the crystals. A blue light emitted from it and started to spread the crystals around.

"Whoa. Whoa. What is that doing?" John asked.

"All beings must be scanned before being united. It does not hurt her I assure you. We simply must make sure no other particle that does not belong to her being is put in with her. The result would end her existence."

"What kind of particle would be needed to do that?" John was slowly understanding that he might know of a problem they didn't.

"Any that does not make up her physical being." Baalex explained. The scanner was done as all the crystals were now in two piles. One large pile and another smaller pile.

"Human, your female has a large number of separate particles. Can you clarify?" John stared at the smaller pile. His child.

"She was pregnant."

"She was what?" Draforn, who had been absently watching from the doorway, now made her way up to John.

"A child doesn't count right? It counts as being apart of her" John ignored her question and stared at Baalex. The creature didn't answer.

"Right?" He asked louder.

"Apologies Human, but no. The particle expansion apparatus cannot not process two beings into one."

"You have the most advanced technology I have ever seen and it can't understand pregnancy?" John yelled.

"No. And if I try it will end both life forms."

"No. No way. There has to be another choice. You find a way to put her back with the baby inside her."

"I cannot Human. I can only put her through and the child separately."

"A child that young cannot survive outside its mother. You would kill it."

"What would you desire me to do Human?"  
"You're asking me to choose to kill my child. I can't. I won't."

"John, I don't think a pregnant being has ever been crystallized before. Even if there was a way, we don't know how it would affect her or your offspring." John stared at the piles. This wasn't happening. He wouldn't choose. Aeryn wouldn't want him to. He closed his eyes and waited. Waited for whatever solution he could think of.

"You said even if...you know another way." He turned back to Draforn.

"John, it's complicated."

"But you know a way."

"John, you don't know what your asking."

"I'm asking that my child have a chance to live."

"Human, my thoughts agree with Draforn. What you inquire has only been correlated a number of times and never on a female bearing offspring. We would have no certainty of the outcome."

"What ever you tested it on? Were they okay?"

"The pain experienced was increased, but they were normal."

"And there's no other way."

"I don't even look at this as an option John." Draforn argued.

"And there's no other way?" John repeated. He wanted Baalex to answer, not her.

"No."

"What do you have to do." He wouldn't say yes, until he knew what was involved.

"Re-evaluate her particles into animation."

"They pretty much grow her back." Draforn explained. John thought a minute. There was no other way. If his child had a chance...any chance, he was going to take it.

"Do it."

"John." Draforn pleaded.

"Do it!"

"As you desire. Unfortunately you will not be permitted to attend. The process is too complicated."

"John." Draforn pulled his arm to leave, but he jerked it back. He took one more look at the crystals and turned to go. The door shut with a deafening pound behind him.

"I'm sorry." She offered. She wasn't lying. She meant it and he knew it. But he didn't answer because her apology meant nothing.

"This could take awhile. I could show you to some quarters if you would like to…"

"No. Let's get started."

"We don't have to…" He put his hand up and stopped her mid sentence.

"When Aeryn is okay. When she can leave I am taking her off this ship and we are going to find our friends. So let's get started. The sooner I find you your frelling wormhole the sooner we can leave."

"I'll get the prowler ready."


	3. Home Is Where the Heart Is

Summary: John and Draforn find a wormhole to take Draforn to her home reality, but are intercepted by Einstein who is not happy about their actions. Meanwhile, Aeryn is put back together, but there may be a problem.

**One For The Road Part 3: Home is Where the Heart Is**

John sat quietly in the back of the prowler, watching the stars go by as Draforn flew them to their destination. His mind wasn't thinking about wormholes or the consequences he knew came with them. His thoughts were only with Aeryn. He secretly wished he hadn't of left the colony. He was in a hurry to get this over with, but in his fear he knew there was a possibility he would return to find he had lost one if not both of his loves. He hadn't had them back for that long. The relationship he had with Aeryn had taken many twists and turns over the last cycle. And now once again he found himself faced with the possibility that he would lose her. Except this time a child was involved. The thought was still new to him. He had known about the baby for awhile, but most of the time he hadn't known if it was his. Secretly, he had hoped it was, but knew there was a chance it wasn't. And then she told him it was. They had created a life together and before he could really think about the fact that he was going to be a father, they were turned into crystals. He hadn't had a clear moment to think about it since. Until now. He had never for a moment doubted he wanted Aeryn to be the mother of his children from the first moment he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. And when she told him the baby was his…well words couldn't describe that feeling. In that moment he loved her more than he ever had because she was carrying his child. Ever since leaving Princess Katralla, the thought of fatherhood was always in the back of his mind. He had been denied his fatherly right. Forced to never know his child because of his human life span. The hurt and loss he felt that day when he walked away from the image of his daughter was just as passionate for him now. He never talked about it with anyone on board Moya. It was too painful and everyone understood that. So when Aeryn said the baby was his it was like a second chance. Nothing would ever replace the love in his heart for a child he would never know, but he could be a father to other children, Aeryn's children.

"John?" John turned back to find Draforn was looking back at him. She had probably tried to get his attention more than once.

"Yeah."

"This is it."

"This is where you came through."

"Yes. Can you sense anything?" John sighed and focused his mind to the slow hum he had become used to in the back of his head.

"There are about…eight different wormholes here. None of them will open within the arn though."

"That's not a problem. I just need you to find me mine."

"I don't know what I'm looking for."

"You don't have to. I'm going to show you where to go and all you have to do is navigate us there."

"You can't show me. I have to be able to know. Full concentration is the only way to get there at a point in time after you have already left."

"Yes, I know that much. That is where the Palkosa comes in." He watched her reach down and pull something from inside her boot. She handed him a knife.

"Cut your finger."

"What?"

"The only way you can know where I need to go is for us to be linked. You bleed, I bleed we press our hands together and we link." John took the knife and cut a small slit on his index finger. He handed her the knife and she did the same.

"Now what?"

"Now I call out the help. A Palkosa is going to link our minds. When you can feel me, concentrate on what I am thinking about. You should start to feel a stronger pull toward one wormhole. Once we have it singled out, I open it up and you take us through."

"That's it?"

"It's not as simple as it sounds John. You won't be relying on your own thoughts."

"I got it." Draforn switched open the comms in her prowler.

"Adrete."

"I am present." A voice answered.

"We're ready." She held her hand back and John took it in his, letting the index fingers press together. He immediately felt a rush through his mind. Images both from his memory and hers flooded his thoughts. One moment he was seeing his family on Earth and another a group of Peacekeepers sitting at a bar. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore his thoughts and concentrated on hers. Slowly his own memories faded into the background and he saw flash after flash of Peacekeepers. Slowly the hum in the back of his mind grew louder.

"To your left." He told her still concentrating on her thoughts. The hum grew louder as he approached the wormhole he was concentrating on.

"Stop."

"Alright I'm going to focus on one moment. You have to stay with that moment." It only took a second for him to see what she was talking about. Her memories slowed down. Each flash was slower and longer. Almost as if he was watching an entire day for her. She was in quarters and then eating in a larger room. Then back in her quarters. First alone and then with someone. A male. John started to lose concentration.

"John don't. Stay with me." She could feel his tension inside her own mind. She tried to move away from what was causing him to lose focus. She moved him away from herself and the male. Now she was getting into her prowler and then flash she created a wormhole and went through. The hum exploded in his mind.

"Got it. Let's go."

"Alright. Controls are yours."

"Go ahead and open it."

"Are you sure you can keep concentration?"

"Open it." She took her hand away from his and turned toward the front. A wormhole immediately opened in front of them.

"Hold on." He whispered as he powered the engines. He flew the prowler into the wormhole and immediately felt the familiar rush that came with the journey. He focused his mind on the last image Draforn had supplied him as he led the prowler through fork after fork of the wormhole. He turned each time his mind told him to until flash. They were no longer in the prowler, but on the snow covered island John knew all to well.

"What happened?" Draforn asked looking around her.

"I think we've been intercepted." He explained

"Intercepted by what?"

"Einstein."

"Who's that?"

"Someone we do not want to tick off."

"Time is not for you to change." Came the familiar elderly voice. John turned to find Einstein standing behind him. Draforn raised her pulse pistol and aimed it at the unfamiliar male.

"That won't do anything." John explained leaving her and approaching Einstein.

"She just wants to go home." John told the gentleman.

"Unimportant."

"Not to me it isn't" Draforn was now beside John.

"Last time you understood the danger involved in using this knowledge. Why do you challenge that now?"

"Because she brought me back."

"What has been given to you is not to be used whenever you desire to do so. And I cannot allow you to jeopardize timelines because of favors."

"Look, I don't know who you are, but I will get back to my reality." Draforn threatened.

"Your understanding of the matter is limited. You cannot know what you have changed simply by being here."

"So let me go back."

"I cannot. Your return would cause greater changes than your removal from your own time."

"I don't care."

"Let me handle this." John whispered to her. He turned his attention back to Einstein

"You said if you can get back to after the point you left then you shouldn't cause any waves, right?"

"Correct, but the effect of her being in this reality alone has been too great. She will not return to her own reality."

"Frell that." Draforn yelled, taking a step closer to Einstein. John put his arm against her chest to stop her.

"You should not have toyed with what we gave you. You know why you have the knowledge you have. You were not to use it for any other reason." Einstein was know speaking to Draforn.

"Yeah yeah…I've heard the speech. I made a mistake. I've been stuck in the corner and have thought about it. I was wrong. I'm sorry. Now send me back."

"No."

"Send me back!"

"No, to jeopardize so many for one life would be useless."

"So I'm stuck here."

"If that's how you choose to view it."

"How do you know I won't try again?" Einstein raised his hand toward her head. Draforn immediately dropped to her knees and screamed until Einstein lowered his hand again.

"Not being in your own reality, you no longer serve a purpose for us. Your knowledge has been removed." Einstein turned back toward John.

"You must not try again. I warn you. The affects of such a jump would be unchangeable." Flash. They were back in the prowler as it exited the wormhole. John powered down the engines. Draforn was in the front seat with her head down.

"You alright?" John asked her. She didn't answer.

"I'm sorry."

"I will find a way back." Her reply showed no anger, but her determination was obvious.

"Messing with other timelines is dangerous. If Einstein took the time to stop us once, he'll do it again."

"I don't care."

"Well you should." She didn't say anything else as she powered back the engines and headed back to the colony. They sat in silence for most of the way back. He waited until he felt she had calmed down before bringing up what had been on his mind since they had been linked. One image kept replaying in his own mind.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Why do I have a feeling I know what you are going to ask?"

"The memory of you in your quarters." He didn't need to say more. They both knew what he was getting at.

"Sorry, I tried to keep that to myself."

"I've seen myself as a Peacekeeper before. I just didn't expect to see me as a Peacekeeper in you head. You want to explain that to me?"

"In my reality you started out the same way you did here. You came through a wormhole and Crais' brother died because of it. The difference is, you never escaped from Crais. You and Aeryn Sun were taken back to the carrier. Aeryn was given back her rank and you were sent to be executed."

"But?"

"Scorpius had a fascination with you. He ordered your execution off and gave you a rank under him. After a couple of cycles you rose through the ranks until you became one of the more influential hierarchs."

"I'm a Peacekeeper hierarch? I thought they hated other species."

"Yes, but you are tolerated. You're not allowed to procreate. It doesn't matter how high your rank is, bloodlines are to stay pure. But you knew what buttons to push. So you and another killed Emperor Staleek during a political gathering. You knew Scorpius would make you a Commander and he did."

"And you and Peacekeeper me?

"Aeryn is usually the one you share your bed with, but when Aeryn is on marauder duty I am usually the female you come to."

"Aeryn?"

"That surprise you? Beings tend to gravitate to the same group of people in every reality. You and Aeryn are probably together in a million realities."

"I've never met you in this reality."

"Yeah, well I think we've had enough story time. The colony is coming up. It's been long enough that Baalex should be done."

John turned back to the stars and pushed her image of him away. Aeryn.

* * *

John took a deep breath before entering the lab he himself had woken up in. He turned to go in and stopped in the doorway. The room was empty. The table that had held him had nothing on it. He felt a sick feeling rising in his stomach.

"Human you have returned." Baalex poked his head out of a door that John hadn't noticed.

"Where's Aeryn?" John braced himself for the answer.

"Do not fear Human. Your female survived the reanimation." He beckoned for John to follow him into the room. And there she was lying on a table. He almost didn't notice the temperature change as he went to her side.

"The process creates heat and so she had to be moved to end the beginnings of heat delirium." Baalex answered before John could ask.

"But she's okay, right? The baby is okay?"

"For now both are fine. She is conscious, though not able to speak yet." John pulled a stool up to the table and let the back of his hand stroke her cheek. Her eyes opened and she looked at him with those beautiful blue-grey eyes.

"Can she hear me?"

"Negative. Although if you wish to speak, I can link your minds." John didn't answer but grabbed a scalpel like utensil from the table beside him to cut his finger.

"Not needed Human. The three of us are close enough that I can link you without a blood transfer. Her memory can not be brought back until her senses have returned. She will seem disoriented." John nodded. Baalex closed his eyes and John felt an immediate surge through his mind.

"_You may speak now Human."_

"_Aeryn?"_

"_John"_

"_Hey baby."_

"_Is this real?"_ A small lump formed in John's throat as the familiarity of the moment hit him. It was just like after he brought her back from Katratzi.

_"Yeah, this is real."_

"_Why can't I move?"_

"_We had some trouble getting you back. It's only temporary."_

"_What happened? I don't remember."_

"_It's a long story, baby. Ask me later."_

"_I feel warm."_

"_You have a slight case of heat delirium, but it's being taken care of."_

"_How did I get heat delirium?"_

"_That's part of the long story."_

"_Are you alright?"_

"_Yeah, I'm fine."_

"_That is enough for now Human. Her mind is still realigning and she must rest."_

"_John, who was that?"_

"_Not now. We'll talk later."_ She closed her eyes and John felt the link end.

"How long until you can bring her senses back?"

"That will take another arn or two. Reanimation takes more time then what you experienced. You may stay with her if you desire." John took her hand in his and didn't take his eyes off her. She was okay. She was going to be fine. He raised her hand up and kissed it softly.

"I'm here baby. I'm here."

* * *

Baalex closed the door to the cold room and turned to find Draforn waiting for him.

"She alright?"

"The female's exterior is handling the reanimation well."

"And the child?"

"The child's life has not restarted as of yet. I am not sure if it will, but I will not tell the Human until I am sure his offspring has no chance."

"Good."

"Apologies Draforn. I am grieved your home could not be reached."

"I'm getting back Baalex. I don't care what timelines I screw up."

"Your thoughts tell me much."

"Think you can do it?"

"I will gather with the others and examine the possibility."


	4. You Were Always On My Mind

**One For The Road Part 4: You Were Always On My Mind**

John held Aeryn's hand as Baalex slid the device into her neck as he had done with John. She didn't flinch or show any signs of discomfort, only stared straight up at the ceiling and waited for it to be done.

"Your female is not as weak as you were Human. She did not cry out in her mind as you did."

"Yeah, yeah humans aren't as disciplined blah blah. Say what you like, but that is not normal." John watched Baalex remove the device from her neck and press the cloth against it so she would not bleed. A low chuckle came from the creature.

"What?"

"I relayed your comment and your female said you were childlike."

"She would say that."

"In her own words she called you a…baby."

"Well, if she wasn't deaf at the moment I would have a few choice words."

"Would you like me to relay them?"

"No. No, it was a joke. The last thing I need is for her first words to be Sebacean curses."

"As you like." Baalex removed the cloth from her neck and proceeded to insert the device into her ear. John looked away as he did.

"And that is just wrong." John said it more to himself than anyone else. It just gave him the heebie-jeebies.

"I am finished Human. Your female can speak and hear now."

"You okay?" John asked her.

"I've been better. Can I sit up?"

"You are able, though you will experience pain with all movement for awhile." John took her arm and helped her sit up on the table. She made one slight grimace as she moved her legs to hang off the side.

"The pain you experience will take a solar day to expire. Other than that I cannot reveal to you what to anticipate."

"What about my memory?"

"Would you like me to stimulate your memories?"

"Yes."

"As I told your Human, depending on the memories, the experience can be quite overwhelming. I can only awaken what your mind has become emotionally attached to. This unfortunately includes all ill memories."

"I understand."

"Close your sight receptors female."

Aeryn closed her eyes as Baalex placed his hands on her temple. Her grip on John's hands did tighten as her memories replayed in her mind. He put his other hand on top of the one already holding hers. He knew remembering would be worse for her. What Baalex did was almost like reliving memories and Aeryn had a lot he didn't want her to relive. There was too much he himself wanted to forget for her. He watched as her eyes clearly moved from side to side as she saw certain memories from the last cycle. He had no idea what she was seeing until her grip tightened even tighter around his hand and a small cry came from her. John squeezed her hand back as he realized she was remembering what the Scarrans had done to her on Katratzi. She hadn't even told him the whole story, but he knew by the way he found her and how long it taken her to heal that she had been to hell and back.

"I am finished." Baalex removed his hands from her temple.

"Thank you." John whispered to the creature. Aeryn's eyes remained closed with a single tear sliding down her cheek. John put his hand on her face and wiped it away with his thumb. She leaned her head into his hand and felt her body slide off the table into his embrace. He kissed the top of her head as he pulled her hair away from her cheek.

"I can depart if you would desire time alone Human."

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." Aeryn whispered.

"No matter, if you do not need my assistance any longer I have…other matters." John nodded to let the creature leave, but quickly remembered another matter he wanted attended to.

"What about the baby?" Baalex hesitated a second before approaching Aeryn.

"May I?" He asked bending down to Aeryn's level. Aeryn nodded and lifted up her shirt to expose her abdomen. The creature gently pressed down on her midriff. His face told them nothing of the grief he felt for them. The being inside her was lifeless. There was still a chance it would reanimate, but the longer it took the smaller the chance got.

"The child is well." He lied. He could not tell them otherwise yet. He had been inside their minds and that connected him with the two beings before him. He did not want them to grieve.

"Are we done then?" John asked, still holding Aeryn close to him as she put down her shirt.

"Your reanimation is as complete as I can make it female. You will not be permitted to leave for a solar day for precaution, but you are free to roam the colony as you wish. However, if you experience any severe abdominal pain, it is imperative you find me."

"Got it. Stomach ache, find you." John answered for her.

"If you will excuse me." The creature nodded to the two beings before leaving them alone in the lab.

"You alright?" John asked her. He took his hand beneath her chin and brought her head up to look at him.

"It was just a little much to take in all at once." She brought her eyes to meet his. Those soft blue eyes that could always make her feel safe.

"We probably should have let yours come back on its own."

"No. It was better just to get it done with."

"There's my girl." He teased her.

She laid her head back against his shoulder.

"I have to say that was a strange way to begin our…what do you call it…encagment." She was trying to be serious remembering the word she had learned from John's sister while on earth. John tried not to laugh.

"Engagement, sweetheart. And Yes, that was never in any of the romance movies I saw."

"So what do we do now?"

"Well…we wait for the ok for you to leave and then we leave." He placed a series of kisses on her neck.

"I had almost forgotten about Moya." She realized as the thought of where they would go upon leaving, came to her.

"Technically you did forget about Moya."

"Do we know what happened to her?" She ignored his reply.

"Not really. The Palkosa know where she is, but that's all they could tell me. They started to head toward her as soon as we got back."

"We who?" The thought hadn't occurred to John that Aeryn had not met Draforn yet.

"Long story."

"We have time."

* * *

"So what did they say?" Draforn stood up as Baalex entered her quarters.

"They have agreed to your terms."

"Baalex, you are a prince!"

"You are mistaken Draforn. I have no royal blood."

"Never mind. You understand what I need from you?"

"Yes. It will only be temporary. Once your task is complete, my power will leave you."

"Yeah, I figured."

"Apologies, but what we do is not for others Draforn."

"Not complaining pal. You're getting me home."

"Close your sight receptors and I will transfer my thoughts." Draforn closed her eyes as Baalex placed his hands on her temple. An immediate rush almost knocked her down as the creature opened her mind. She felt his hands leave her, but didn't open her eyes.

"_Can you read my thoughts?"  
_

"_I think."  
_

"_Affirmative. I am not reading your mind Draforn. You are reading mine."  
_

"_Be ready when I need you. Once I find the wormhole I'll need you to jump."  
_

"_We understand."_

* * *

John waited for Aeryn to say something. She had moved from his lap and was now sitting across from him. She hadn't said a word as he explained who Draforn was and what she and him had tried to do. Aeryn was never crazy about John messing with wormholes and for good reason. He had however, left out the part of himself being a Peacekeeper in Draforn's reality. It didn't matter much and was a fact that he felt Aeryn didn't need to know. He really didn't want to explain anything in that area, even if it wasn't really him.

"I don't think I need to say I don't want you to try again."

"Even if she did come up with a way, Einstein wouldn't let her through."

"She seems pretty determined to get back John."

"My money is still on Einstein."

"If you had a chance to get back when you first got stuck here, would you have given up that easily?"

"First off I do not see myself as being stuck here thank you and secondly…no."

"So what makes you think she's going to stop trying?"

"Doesn't matter. Tomorrow we are gone and she's Einstein's problem."

"And I thought you would be the one person who could understand John." Draforn called out.

John and Aeryn turned to see her in the doorway.

"Hi, technically we haven't met yet. I'm Draforn, your Aeryn, nice to meet you. Excuse us a second." Draforn walked right past Aeryn and pulled John over to the side.

"I need your help again."

"No."

"We can do this the easy way or the not so easy way John, take your pick."

"I can't get you through a wormhole without Einstein letting us through."

"Got that taken care of."

"What do you mean you have that taken care of?"

"I don't have a lot of time so don't ask. Are you in or out?"

"I can't."

"Fine, but I warned you." She smiled at John as he fell at her feet. Aeryn started to run to him, but Draforn stopped her with her mind.

"Sorry. I have nothing against the both of you, but I'm going home and I need him to do it."

"What your trying to do could destroy realities. Maybe yours." John warned, trying to regain movement in his limbs.

"I'm willing to take that chance. If you'll excuse me, I have a wormhole to catch." Draforn lifted John over her shoulder with mental help and started out of the room.

"You should regain control of yourself once I'm off the colony." She called back to Aeryn.

* * *

John awoke with a start. He was in a prowler. Why was he in a prowler?

"_Morning sunshine."_ It only took him a second to know who was speaking, or rather who was in his head.

"_Where'd you get the super powers from?"  
_

"_I borrowed them."  
_

"_Borrowed?"  
_

"_Baalex temporary opened my mind to anything they can do."  
_

"_What did you do with Aeryn?"  
_

"_Nothing. I froze her until we left. I knew she would follow, so I had to give us a head start."  
_

"_You can't do this."  
_

"_Can and am."  
_

"_You don't understand…"  
_

"_No, John you don't understand. I'm a Peacekeeper. That's all I am. That's all I want to be. And not here. I want to go home."  
_

"_I won't help."  
_

"_Not willingly. I can force whatever I want out of you John. I could kill you with one thought if I wanted to; you think you can hold anything from me? I am reading you as we speak. I'm finding this wormhole from your knowledge. I know where it is and I know it's going to open shortly after we find it."  
_

"_You selfish…"  
_

"_I wouldn't finish that if I were you John. Your girlfriend is flying fast and almost in my range."  
_

"_Wrong card to play. Your powers won't last forever."  
_

"_I'll have you back before then."  
_

"_You won't get through."  
_

"_Really? Have faith John."  
_

"_I do, just not in you." _

* * *

Aeryn silently cursed the prowler she was in. She had it going as fast as it would go, but she didn't seem to be getting any closer to John and Draforn. If she could just get into comm range. Not that she knew what to say to make Draforn stop. She just knew that she couldn't let John enter that wormhole. If he did, she would follow, whether she knew what she was doing or not.

A slight pain in her abdomen brought her out of her thoughts. Not now. Baalex had warned her about this, but whatever it was would have to wait. Timing. She had definitely adopted John's bad timing.

* * *

"_Well here we are. Now we just need it to open."  
_

"_So how do you plan to get past Einstein."  
_

"_Does it matter?"  
_

"_Since if he catches you, he could kill us both…yeah I'd say it does."  
_

"_There are over a thousand Palkosa on that colony. Combine their power and you have one big mind control center."  
_

"_You really think that's going to work on Einstein?"  
_

"_We are about to find out."_ She motioned to the opening wormhole in front of them.

"_By the way your girlfriend's caught up to us." _

* * *

They were right there. She could see them. Aeryn flipped the switch to open her comms, but didn't get a chance to say anything as a voice entered her mind.

"_I wouldn't follow us if I were you."  
_

"_You can't do this."  
_

"_Everyone keeps saying that."  
_

"_You have to stop what you're doing."_ Another painful stab in her abdomen caused her to lurch forward a bit.

"_Well well, isn't this interesting. That pain your feeling is your child trying to come back to life. See Baalex left that little part out didn't he? Now it could come back on its own, and it might not. Baalex could help it come back now that it is showing signs of life. So, hard decision for you to make. Try to save John or your child."  
_

"_You can't go through…"_ She stopped as another pain hit her.

"_Don't chance it Aeryn." _

* * *

_"Baalex, I'm going through."  
_

"_We are assembled and ready."_ The creature answered.

"_Hold on John."_

* * *

Aeryn watched the prowler disappear through the opening of the wormhole. The pain had stopped for the moment. She had a decision to make. It only took her a second to make it. She pushed the prowler forward. Stay open. Stay open. Stay open. The opening swayed from side to side, but showed no signs of closing.

"Draforn if you can hear me, I'm following you. I know you can guide me, so I suggest you do it." Aeryn yelled out loud as her own prowler entered the wormhole.

* * *

_"Your girlfriend is making things difficult."  
_

"_Why? What did she do?"  
_

"_She just followed us in."  
_

"_She did what?"  
_

"_I can keep her with us. I've taken control of her for the moment, but I have to say she is a real pain in the eema." _

* * *

Aeryn followed closely behind the other prowler. She had no choice. She could feel she didn't have control over her hands, which was probably a good thing considering she had no idea what she was doing. She knew nothing of wormholes and was at the moment letting her life and the life of her child sit in the palm of Draforn's hand. Suddenly there was a flash of light.

_"There she is John."_ John looked ahead at a opening to one of the millions of realities. He could feel it was hers. The Palkosa had kept Einstein off her and she had found her way home. The prowler flew through the opening and Draforn let out a yell as they both recognized a Peacekeeper command carrier in front of them.

"Hey, you keep your concentration on Aeryn." He yelled at her.

"Calm down, I got her. She should be coming through…" She let off the last part of the sentence.

"Coming through?" He yelled. Draforn didn't answer. She just stared back at the wormhole opening as it closed.

John stared in horror. It had closed. It had closed and Aeryn hadn't made it through.

"What the hell just happened?" He yelled at her. She didn't answer.


	5. Here a John, There a John

**One For The Road Part 5: Here A John, There A John**

Aeryn stepped out of her prowler onto the white ground. She didn't know what had happened, but she knew this was not where she was supposed to be. She placed her hand on the pulse pistol that pressed against her hip. She stood still, waiting for something…anything. She was certain she knew where she was. She was just waiting for him.

"Time." She turned to the male gentleman behind her. She had never met him, but she had talked about him with John enough times to know who he was.

"Time" He repeated.

"I'm not sure what you want me to say."

"Time."

"Moves.

"Time."

"Doesn't matter."

"Time."

"Ends."

"Correct."

"Why am I here?"

"To help fix, what they have damaged."

"Why didn't you pull Draforn out? She's the one risking your precious timelines."

"I was mentally distracted. I could not pull both ships. Only the closest one, yours."

"You said I'm here to fix what they have damaged."

"Correct. There are consequences to be dealt with."

"What do I have to do with that?"

"More than you know. The three of you are part of a bigger picture Draforn has created. We cannot stop it, only try to affect the outcome."

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"You can give him a message."

"A message?"

"For every agreeable event in one reality there must be a trade-off of an unagreeable event."

"I don't know what that means."

"You don't have to. It is for him and not you."

"How do I find him? I can't navigate a wormhole."

"If you concentrate on your destination, we will guide you."

"I don't know where she was going."

"All you need is to concentrate on Crichton. That is your destination." A sudden flash of light and Einstein was gone.

She stood a second taking in his words and their meaning. A small twinge in her lower abdomen brought her back. She needed to hurry. She jumped back into the prowler and powered the engine. This time she felt no one helping her as she entered the wormhole opening. _Concentrate Aeryn. John. Think about John. Just John._ She pictured him in her mind and slowly a realization came to her that she knew where she was going. She flew past different openings, but ignored them. _John. Just think about John. John. John._ Another pain hit her and her thoughts shifted. _The Baby._ She felt her hand thrust the controls forward and through an opening. The wormhole closed behind her, expounding energy that pushed her prowler forward. She stared out into space. More specific at the ship in front of her. She had not gone the right way.

"Alright, whoever you are. You have about ten microts to back off before I shoot." John's clear voice came over the comm. Except it couldn't be her John. The voice was coming from the ship in front of her, Talyn.

* * *

"What the hell just happened?" John yelled at Draforn again. She was sitting in front of him almost as shocked as he was. She had not planned on that either. 

"I don't know. I lost her." She was staring at where the wormhole had been, trying to figure out what had went wrong.

"What do you mean you LOST her?"

"I DON"T KNOW what that means!" She screamed back at him.

He squeezed his hands into fists, trying not to pull out his pulse pistol and shoot her right then and there. He could still feel her mental control over him, but it was fading and he was beyond pissed off.

"You said you had her."

"She pulled away…or someone pulled her away." She slid the last part in as she made connections in her mind. Aeryn hadn't pulled away, not by herself anyway.

"Einstein. I thought you said you had him covered." John made the realization himself.

"I thought I had him covered. I didn't know if it would work and if it did, how much time I had before he broke it."

"We have to go back in."

"That wormhole won't reopen for another arn."

"So we find another. I am not leaving her in there. She doesn't know how to navigate them."

"I'm not going anywhere." She pushed the controls forward.

"No way. You are not taking me on the command carrier. You lost Aeryn, now help me find her, damn it."

"If Einstein has her then she's fine. Look the original deal was you drop me off and then go back yourself."

"Yeah well the original deal was off the moment you knocked me out."

"Will you shut up. I am taking us in that carrier. Now, if you don't let me announce myself, they will shoot us down." She flipped a switch on the side and ignored her fuming passenger. She couldn't blame him. She realized she had not been the gentle hostess today, she just didn't care. Not when she was so close to her command carrier.

"Draforn, Commando, Laction Company, Maspern Regiment. Requesting permission to re-enter."

"Permission pending. Reason for absence?" A voice came over the comm..

"Special orders from Commander Crichton. Code 88987decaker."

"Permission granted." She flipped the switch back off as she flew the prowler into the bay.

"Once I get out, I'm going to tell them you are heading back out on orders. You never have to step out of the prowler." She explained as the prowler set down.

John didn't answer.

"I'm so…" She started to apologize, but he interrupted her.

"Don't apologize. You forced me across realities, you put Aeryn AND my child's life in danger by knowing she would follow me. If you apologize, I will shoot you."

She didn't doubt his threat. His stern voice told her he was dead serious.

"And you better hope I never have to see you again. Now get the frell out" He never looked at her as he finished. The icy coolness of his voice almost sent chills down her spine. She didn't say a word as she stepped out of the prowler. She didn't look at him. She just jumped down and moved to talk to one of the techs. He waited for her and the tech to move away so he could refire the engines, but they didn't move. Finally the tech left and he caught a glance from Draforn. He was not going to be happy.

She climbed back up on the wing and stuck her head in the pit. "We have a problem."

"You really want to push me today?"

"Sorry John, but all ships are grounded. Your orders. I can't do anything about that." He felt his lips tighten and again he had to suppress the urge to go for his pulse pistol.

"I have to go find Aeryn." He said it slowly, making sure she got his point. He was not staying on the carrier.

"Look, let me find you…the other you and I can have you off the carrier before the wormhole opens."

"What am I supposed to do until then?"

"Well you can't stay here." She thought a minute. "You can hide in my quarters."

"And just how are you going to get me there?"

"Easy, you're going to play Peacekeeper."

"No thanks, been there done that. It didn't work out."

"You have another idea?" His silence was his answer to that.

"Then listen to me. You are one of the highest ranking officers here. You own everyone in this bay. You play evil Peacekeeper commander, and you'll be fine."

"I don't like this."

"You don't like anything I have you do. Now come on." She jumped back down off the wing and waited for him to join her. He let out a deep breath before standing up. He pulled himself out of the prowler and jumped down.

"You're a higher rank, so you have to lead." She whispered to him.

"I don't know where I'm going." He hissed back starting to walk forward.

"Just go straight. They are going to ask for an ident chip up here. Just be nasty to the kid and he'll let you through."

"Commander Crichton. We were not aware you were off the carrier." A young Peacekeeper was standing next to an ident chip verifier.

"What I do is not your concern." John put on his best peacekeeper accent.

"Yes sir. Sorry sir. May I see your chip?" The boy was obviously nervous.

"No, you're going to let me pass."

"Sorry sir, but orders are no one passes without an ident chip." John cursed Draforn silently. He was going to have to make a scene to get out of this one. He walked up to the young Peacekeeper and pulled him off the ground with his hand around the boys neck.

"You know who I am and I don't have time for this dren. So you will let me pass." He let the boy down and waited for him to recover as he gasped for air.

"Yes sir. Sorry sir." The boy moved to let them pass. John walked by him with Draforn in tow.

"That was good. Almost like my Crichton." She whispered.

"Just get me to your quarters. We will be in trouble if we run into your Crichton."

* * *

"I said back off!" The John on Talyn yelled again. 

"I mean you no harm." Aeryn finally found the words to say back. This was new territory for her. She had never been in an alternate reality. And to say she was surprised to hear John…or a John on Talyn was an understatement. She waited for a reply, and got one when her prowler alarm let her know that she had been locked on by weapons.

"I mean you no harm!" She yelled again, ready to do some maneuvers if she had to.

"Who are you?" Oh for the love of Cholak! What was she supposed to say to that?

"I'm not Peacekeeper."

"That's not what I asked you." She thought a minute. A name. Any name that wasn't hers.

"Xhalax."

"That would be a wrong answer."

"Wait, stop."

"You want to rethink that one. Maybe you should name someone I don't know is dead." She stopped a minute. He knew her mother was dead. That meant he knew her. Frell, she was in trouble. If he knew her, then there was a chance, she was on that ship with him. She knew little about realities, but she did know meeting yourself was off limits. On the other hand, this John could have wormhole knowledge. She let out a deep breath. She didn't have a choice. She had to get on Talyn. That John could be her only way back.

"Let me on and I'll explain." She waited for an answer, but he said nothing. Finally the quiet alarm in the prowler turned off. He had taken the weapon lock off her. She took that as an invitation and flew the ship into the bay of the familiar child Leviathan. Although it was no longer a child. This Talyn was bigger than Moya. Wherever she was, Talyn had had time to grow. She set the prowler down in the bay and opened the top to get out. She was immediately met by the end of a pulse pistol.

"Hi, Aeryn."

She tried to turn her head to look at him, but he pressed the pulse pistol against her cheek.

"Don't move, until I tell you to move."

She could feel his eyes on her, studying her.

"Well…you look like her…you sound like her…except you're not her."

"I am. Just not the one you're thinking of."

"I know that much."

"Do you know anything about wormholes?"

He pressed the pulse pistol against her tighter. "Is that what this about? Someone send you to pick my brain?"

"Believe it or not, I am Aeryn Sun, just not the Aeryn Sun from this reality."

He pulled back a bit, but still held the pistol at her cheek.

"I don't mean you harm. I don't even mean to be here. I just need your help to get back."

"I don't mess with wormholes anymore."

"All you have to do is let me know when the one I just came out of is going to open again."

He pulled the pulse pistol back off her face.

She turned to face him, and saw for the first time the John she had been talking to. He was older, a lot older. His brown hair had faded to a light grey. His skin, his eyes, everything about him told her this was what her John would probably look like in twenty cycles.

"Get out of the prowler." He ordered as he stepped back. She pulled herself out of the seat and jumped down. The pistol was still pointed at her. She leaned against the prowler as another pain hit her abdomen.

"Another reality…" He said it more to himself than to her.

"I didn't mean to come here. And I will be gone as soon as that wormhole reopens." Another pain hit her. They were getting stronger. She pressed her hands against the ship and tried to keep herself upright. She heard John say something, but couldn't understand as a pain sent her to her knees. Her arms wrapped protectively around her stomach. _Please, no. Not now._ She felt his hands on her before she lost consciousness.

* * *

Draforn opened the door to her quarters and followed John in. Probably not the brightest idea, since the mental abilities Baalex had given her had left her completely. John Crichton was no longer under her control. She took a quick look around. She was home. Five moens, six solar days stuck in the other reality and she was finally home. John leaned against the wall as he watched her take in her surroundings. 

"As much fun as this is. That wormhole is going to open in less than an arn. So could you get me off this carrier before it does."

"Yeah, I'm going. Stay here." She mumbled as she moved to leave.

"Where else would I go?" He asked as she headed toward the door. She opened it and stepped out only to be pushed back in. John immediately dove behind the bed and laid flat against the ground.

"And just where have you been?"

Oh God. It was him. Peacekeeper him.

"Scorpius gave me special orders." She answered.

"Oh really."

Oh and he knew what that tone meant too.

"Yeah, really. I've been back for less than a quarter arn, and already you have me alone. That's a new record for you."

John couldn't see what was going on, but he felt the bed move as someone had clearly been thrown on it.

"It's been a long time."

"Aww, poor baby. No Aeryn."

John felt another body hit the bed. He was going to be sick if he had to listen to what Peacekeeper him had in mind.

"What have I told you about saying her name when I'm with you."

He could hear Peacekeeper him kissing her between every word. If Draforn thought this was funny, then she was way off base.

"John, as much fun as this is, I have to report to Scorpius."

"As your commanding officer, I'm ordering you to stay."

"John…John…don't you have something to do?"

"The Scarrans are aboard. I have to stay out of sight."

"The Scarrans?"

"Political meeting and you know how Empress Ahkna wants my head on a stick."

"Is that why all the ships are grounded."

"Un-huh."

"Then I really need to report to Scorpius."

"Draforn, baby come on. He's stuck in negotiations."

"Tell you what, you lift one prowler's grounding and I'll free up my entire day."

"What do you need a prowler for?"

"That's a secret."

"I don't like secrets."

"Maybe this will change your mind."

There was silence in the room and then all of a sudden he heard Peacekeeper him let out a loud gasp.

"God!" He screamed.

That was sick. Beyond sick. He was listening to himself be violated. _You didn't seem to mind it much._ Gross. Shut up! He yelled at his mind. He didn't want to try to imagine what she was doing.

"Change your mind?"

"Yes, but the order is from Scorpius, so it's not my mind you have to change."

"Frell."

"There's my girl."

"No, John…John…stop." He felt the bed move again as she must have gotten up.

"What is the matter with you?"

"Believe me when I say you don't want to know. Give me an arn."

"An arn?"

"An arn. Give me an arn and I promise you I'll be in your quarters."

"You better be."

The bed moved again, this time it was Peacekeeper him that had gotten up. He heard the door open, another kiss and then silence.

"Sorry."

John poked his head up from the floor and looked at her. "Let's not talk about it because I may throw up."

"Alright, we need a new plan."

"What plan?"

"Stay here. I'm going to go find you some clothes."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"You can't see Scorpius in that."

"Why do I need to see Scorpius?"

"Because you playing Peacekeeper you has a better chance of getting a prowler off this carrier than me."

Draforn opened the door to her quarters and walked out leaving John alone. He let his head fall to the floor with a loud thud as he thought on her plan. "This day can not get any worse."


	6. What Could Have Been

**One For The Road Part 6: What Could Have Been**

Aeryn slowly opened her eyes. For a moment she had almost thought she had dreamt the last day's events up, until her eyes focused on Talyn's ceiling. No, it had all happened. Following Draforn through the wormhole, meeting Einstein, getting lost in this reality had been no dream. She was actually back on Talyn with another possibility of her John. Thinking about John reminded her of why she was here in the first place and what had happened. And the pain. Her hand instinctively went to her abdomen. Her child had been struggling to come back to life, something she hadn't known. Baalex had lied to her and told her the child was fine, but it hadn't been. It had been lifeless inside her. She had gone after John and unknowingly had put her child's life on the line.

She sat up slowly, with her hand still against her abdomen and turned to the older version of John standing with his back to her. She started to say something to get his attention, but he had turned around before she got a word out.

The scanner in his hand fell to the ground and his hand flew to cover his heart. "You shouldn't do that to a man my age." He bent down to pick up the scanner.

"Sorry."

"You were always good at scaring me like that."

He addressed her as someone he knew. Whatever had happened, he now thought of her as Aeryn Sun. "How long have I been out?"

"Not long, just long enough for me to do some tests."

"Tests?"

"This isn't the first time I've seen an Aeryn look alike. Had to make sure you were her. But you have the same DNA right down to the strand that belongs to Pilot."

"So I am who I say I am?"

"That you are. I also found something else during my scans." He glanced briefly at her midriff.

"Is it…" She didn't finish her sentence and she didn't need to. He knew what she was implying.

"The baby's fine."

Aeryn closed her eyes. It was okay. Her child lived. As much as what could have happened hurt her, she would have never been able to tell John they had lost their child.

"By the way your wormhole is going to open in about two arns."

"Thank you."

"Anything for thee, Aeryn Sun."

"You know who I am? I mean the Aeryn Sun in your reality?"

"Yes…I would say I know you."

She couldn't see the smile on his face; otherwise she would have caught that that was a funny question for him. "Then I'm sorry, this must be awkward."

"Awkward? Hell, I've lived in the uncharted territories for 24 years, and I've seen a lot of things. You don't count as awkward."

"I really shouldn't be here. I don't know what my presence might be changing."

"Well, if you didn't come on board you would have had your little episode in your prowler and you might not have been as lucky." He turned to put the scanner away. The table in front of him was cluttered with different scientific tools. She had seen most of them before on Moya. They had used many of them for different medical purposes.

"Well you seem to be handy with medical emergencies." Her John had learned many things on Moya, but when it came to medical problems, he still ran to the most qualified person on board.

The older John chuckled at her statement. "You have to be when you're a parent."

"Parent?" She had not been expecting that. She had assumed on seeing him alone in the bay that no one else was on board.

"Yep."

"So you're married?"

"Was."

"Was?" She knew she was pushing a subject that was none of her business, but she was curious about him. This was the man she loved, just one that had taken a different path.

"Yeah, she umm…she was killed a couple of cycles ago."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"Your fine. It's been four cycles."

"Four cycles isn't that long."

"No, but it's been long enough." He turned back from the table and looked at her. "God, I'd almost forgotten how beautiful you were. She didn't age hardly at all. She looked almost exactly like you the day I buried her."

She felt her heart skip a beat. He was talking about her. The thought had not crossed her mind that she was the wife he had been talking about. There were a million different realities and a million different ways John could live out his life. She wouldn't of thought to find one where she had married him. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as she realized something else. He had children. They had had children together.

"Sorry, sometimes my mouth runs away with me." He turned back to the table, taking her silence that he had said something he shouldn't have.

"No, It's just…I didn't know you were talking about me, or the Aeryn Sun in this reality. It just caught me off guard."

"Well, I didn't expect to see the spitting image of my dead wife today, so we're in the same boat."

"I can leave if you would like." His comment made her realize, this was probably painful for him. She remembered how it hurt to see her John on Moya after the other had died.

"No use in you floating in space for the next two arns."

"Thank you."

"I hope you don't mind if I ask, but is the kid…"

"It belongs to the John in my reality."

He was glad he was turned around and she couldn't see his smile. She belonged to him in her reality too. It's the only way he could think of her in any reality, as his.

"Do you know what it is? The sex?" He turned to face her, leaning back on the table behind him.

"No, I haven't had any time to get a full scan."

"Would you like to know what it is?"

"You know?"

"I've fathered five children, it only took me a second to see what yours was."

"What is it?"

"Boy."

She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. A son.

"There it is. I remember that look." He tried to hide his smile, but he couldn't help it. She looked just like her. He gave her a moment, remembering how his Aeryn had reacted when they found out their first would be a son.

"How long were you married?" She brought herself out of her own thoughts. She didn't know exactly how to describe how she felt, except that she wished John…her John were here with her. She was also very interested in this John. This very well could be her life. Hopefully, however, with her apart of it.

"19 cycles."

"Were you happy?"

"99.9 of the time. I don't think I could put into words, how she made me felt, but when we fought…well, something usually ended up broken or shattered." Aeryn had to smile at that. No one could infuriate her more than John Crichton.

"Five children?" She couldn't imagine herself the mother of five. At the moment she was still getting used to the idea of being a mother to one. How on earth had this man ever turn her into a mother of five? It seemed rather absurd to her.

"Yeah, well I talked her into three and just her luck we had one last surprise that turned out to be twins."

"How old are they?"

"D'Argo is 17 cycles, Zhaan is 14 cycles, Olivia is 10 cycles and Jack and Anne are 7 cycles."

"Sounds like you have your hands full."

"They are my life."

"And you've raised them on Talyn?"

"We decided not to find a planet to settle down on. She was too attached to Talyn to leave him."

"That's how I feel about Moya. I don't think I could leave her."

"Damn, I haven't thought about Moya in a long time."

"What happened to her? Your Moya."

"Don't know. We had to split from them to save Talyn. We never found Moya again."

She listened to his explanation with a tight feeling in her stomach. This was sounding familiar. "You had to separate from Moya?"

"Yeah, damn retrieval squad."

Her stomach tightened even more. She felt her entire body go weak as she realized who she was talking to. This was the other John. She was speaking to the John that had died next to her. This was the John she had mourned for. This was the John that had made her push her John away for so long.

"You alright? Not gonna pass out on me again are ya?"

"No, sorry, I just feel a little sick."

He took her arm to make sure if she was going to pass out that he would have her.

"No, I'm fine." She pulled her arm away from his.

He had said something. He didn't know what he had said, but he had said something.

"Well, I need to go…check on what my children are up to. They've been quiet today and that is always something to worry about. I'll also make something up for you to eat that should come your stomach."

She didn't say anything. She simply stared at his back as he left her alone. It was him. The same John as the one she was looking for, but different. Different because of what they had shared on this very ship. Things her John hadn't been there to see. At one time she had seen him as the original. Seeing him again, even if it was in a different reality and in the future, was bringing up more than she would have liked to remember.

* * *

John looked at himself in the full Peacekeeper leathers. Why was he always finding himself in Peacekeeper uniform? He had played the Peacekeeper once today and the last thing he wanted was to try and do it in front of Scorpius, but Draforn had explained that Scorpius probably wouldn't lift the prowler grounding just for her. Peacekeeper him however, apparently had Scorpius wrapped around his little finger.

"Are you ready?" Draforn called from behind him. She had turned around while he changed at his request. Not that it mattered to her. She had seen him before, but if it made him feel more comfortable, then she didn't care.

"I don't like this." Scorpius was smart. John knew if he walked into the same room as Scorpius, then he probably had less than five minutes before the half-breed knew he wasn't who he said he was.

"Quit complaining and come on." She turned, pulled his arm and jerked him toward the door.

"What if we meet up with me?"

"You will be hiding in your quarters for the rest of the day. We're fine as long as we don't meet any Scarrans."

"What happens if we meet a Scarran?"

"Remember I told you, you helped murder Emperor Staleek?"

"Yeah."

"Well, they've been trying to kill you for years. So they'll shoot you on the spot."

"Let's not risk that."

"Look, you want off here before that wormhole opens then we have to do this."

"One problem. Scorpius is going to know I'm not a Peacekeeper."

"Scorpius isn't a problem as long as you don't do anything stupid."

"What counts as stupid?"

"Being you. You are not a nice person except to your females. You know you can get away with anything with Scorpius and you act like it. Be cocky and be arrogant." She opened the door and let him go out first.

"What am I supposed to say?"

"Scorpius, as well as everyone else on this ship, knows you don't like to be cooped up and that you like to go off on your…outings."

"Okay, stop…no details. I don't want to know."

"Just play like you tired of being pent up."

"I don't consider this playing."

"Oh come on. You don't find this even just a little exciting?"

He glared at her for his answer.

"Alright, maybe not."

They rounded a corner into a hall with Peacekeeper guards lined up on each side. John hesitated to move forward, but she jabbed her arm into his back.

"Don't stop." She whispered. She followed him to the end of the hall, where he could only assume led to Scorpius.

"Afternoon, Commander." The Peacekeeper in front of the door greeted John.

"Step aside. I have business with Scorpius."

"Yes sir." The Peacekeeper moved to the side and opened the door. John entered with Draforn behind him. The room was empty except for the black leathered Peacekeeper staring out into space.

"Hello John." The familiar sinister greeting sent chills down John's back. This was not good. He knew that every time he met up with Scorpius that it never went the way he planned.

"I want a prowler grounding lifted." He used his Peacekeeper accent again. He went straight to the point. He wanted out of this room and off this carrier.

"No, I'm sorry, John. I'm afraid that is out of the question." Scorpius turned his head to look at John, a vicious smile on his face.

* * *

Aeryn stood outside the dining area of Talyn listening to the John inside. She had known exactly where to find him. She knew Talyn almost as well as she knew Moya. She was standing outside of the dining hall, but she couldn't get herself to go in. She had sat for a good while in the docking bay where this John had left her, but found after her thoughts had settled, that whatever she was feeling, she wanted to be near him. She found herself intrigued by him even if his presence was reminding her she had lost him once. She could hear him moving inside, humming something. She took in a deep breath before entering. He immediately stopped what he was doing and smiled at her entrance.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Sit down. You must be hungry." He brought her a plate of some unknown substance and set it in front of her. She didn't know what it was, but she suddenly realized she was starving. She had not eaten anything since being brought back.

"I think I owe you an apology." He told her, watching her eat.

"What for?"

"For before."

"Oh."

"It took me awhile to realize…you're with him, aren't you?" He didn't need to explain who the "him" was. They both knew.

"Yes."

"The way you looked at me back there. As if all of a sudden you knew who I was, but I was different to you."

"In my reality, there were two of you and you and I did separate from Moya and those who stayed on her."

"But…" He began the next part for her, turning back to what he was doing.

"But, I made it back to Moya."

"Bet that caused some problems."

She closed her eyes trying to regain some composure. He had no idea. No idea what he was bringing up for her. If he had turned to see her reaction, he would have seen the pain. He would have known not to push this, but he didn't. In his own ignorance he had assumed, he had made it back to Moya as well.

"Yes it did."

That was not the answer he wanted. He wanted to know why she had chosen the other him in the end. He shouldn't have cared, but he did.

"Are we both still on Moya in your reality?"

"No, you died…on Talyn."

He turned to look at her again. He had crossed a line. He walked over to her and sat down across from where she sat. He waited for her to go on, but she didn't. He could see this was painful for her. He knew the feeling well. He had buried his Aeryn four cycles ago, but if he thought about it long enough he could make it seem like yesterday. He suddenly felt connected to her in a way. He had buried her at one point and she had buried him.

"I can't imagine how you dealt with that. When, uh, right after my wife died, I thought…there was no way I could wake up every morning with her gone."

"So what changed?"

"Nothing really. I just had five wonderful kids who, through their own pain, forced me to deal with mine."

"You are a very lucky man to have them then. I didn't have that."

"You had the other one."

The fact that he called her John the other one did not escape her attention. "Didn't matter. It was you I wanted at the time, and my John couldn't understand that."

The fact that she had said she wanted him did not escape his attention.

"We were the same."

"I know that now. But it didn't matter then. You had died. I needed to deal with that first."

"Are you happy, Aeryn?"

"What?"

"Are you happy? Right now. Whatever has happened since then, are you happy?"

"Yes."

"Then does it really matter which one you ended up with?"

She thought a moment. No, she loved John Crichton and he was the one with her at the end of the day. That's all that mattered…now.

He took her silence as a yes. "I had my kids, you had him. It all worked out in the end."

She sat a moment in wonder at the difference between this man and her John. He was much wiser and he had a sadness about him. Even when he smiled you could see something was missing. Maybe it was because she knew that smile so well that she knew when it was hiding something.

"Are you happy John?"

He thought a minute before answering. "More so then I was."

They sat in silence after that, lost in their own thoughts. Both thinking of someone else they had loved and lost who looked exactly like the person across from them.

**TBC**


	7. And all the King's Horses

**One For The Road Part 7: And All The King's Horses...**

"And why the hell not? It's not like you have anything for me to do while our reptilian neighbors are here." Draforn had prepared him for a quick yes from Scorpius. He hadn't expected a quick no. This meant he would have to talk more. Great. Now he knew he was going to be caught.

"I can't let you leave John."

"Yes, you can. You lift one little prowler grounding and let me have a little fun." He eyed Draforn next to him, letting Scorpius know what he meant by fun. If he was going to do this, then he was going to give Scorpius the whole show.

"Empress Ahkna is having you watched as usual John. You know the rules. You stay in your quarters until she is off the carrier. She will take every opportunity presented to her to take your life."

"You know she doesn't scare me. And I need off this ship." He pulled Draforn close to him and looked at her hungrily adding to his performance.

"You know I can't John. We are in the middle of political negotiations, if Ahkna finds out I let you off this ship, she will cause problems."

"So we shoot her, and take over the Scarran empire. Scorpy look. I am itchin' to get away. Now you can either let me off, or I'll find my way off."

Scorpius watched his Commander closely as he walked around him, seemingly to be bored, except for the occasional glance at officer Draforn.

"Despite your persistence, I cannot allow it John. And I will enforce this." Scorpius made sure John got his message.

"Well how long until you lift the grounding?"

"Not certain. That depends on when these negotiations end."

"Well, I won't stay in my quarters for long."

"Patience John. If all things go as I plan, you won't need to." Scorpius smiled again.

John knew that smile. Scorpius had something up his sleeve and he wasn't going to like it.

"You are dismissed Commander." Scorpius finished, turning back to stare out into space. John glanced at Draforn who started to leave. Apparently there was nothing more for him to do. Scorpius waited until they were gone before using his comm.

"Braca."

"Yes, sir."

"Go to Commander Crichton's quarters and personally escort him to me. We have a slight problem we need to discuss."

* * *

"Well, that didn't work." John hissed at Draforn as soon as they were out of the guarded hallway. 

"I noticed and nice job in there."

"Yeah, and my drama teacher said I had no acting skills."

"You almost had me fooled."

"So I thought I had Scorpius as my lap dog."

"You do. Something's going on."

"I don't care. I am getting off this carrier and I am going to find Aeryn."

"Calm down. I have another plan."

"Is it better than your last one?"

"Blowing something up is always better John."

"Wait a minute that depends on what you are going to blow up."

"We need a diversion. If I can get everyone's attention for a couple of microts, you can get off this ship without being noticed."

He didn't say anything, which signaled to her that he didn't like the idea.

"Don't worry. I have it covered."

"How come that doesn't make me feel any better?"

"Trust me John."

"That's the problem, I don't."

* * *

Aeryn wandered through the tiers of Talyn. Finding out that the John she knew on Talyn had survived in this reality had interested her more than it should have. But their last conversation had reminded her of where she belonged. The Aeryn Sun in this reality had stayed with the John on Talyn, which reminded her there was another John out there that had lived his life without her. She had never really considered staying or found she felt for this John more than she loved her John. This was just new to her. She was starting to look forward to leaving just to stop the mixed feelings she had toward this place. She did miss Talyn. She did miss the other John. That would never change. What had changed was who she thought of as John Crichton. If she liked this life then she could have it, with her John. Although five children were a little much for her. They would discuss that if they survived the one she carried. She turned the corner into the docking bay and stopped at the sight of one of the children. The boy stopped as well. Neither had expected to see each other. He was older than she had pictured any of them. What had John said the oldest was named? D'Argo. This one was D'Argo. 

"Dad, asked me to refuel your prowler." He explained, sounding more startled then he would have liked.

"I didn't mean to interrupt your work." She hadn't wanted to meet his children, any of them. No, that was a lie. She had wanted to meet them, but decided in the end it would be better if she didn't. She looked exactly like their dead mother and she didn't want to hurt them. She turned to go to let him finish.

"You don't have to leave." He turned back to the fuel hose and avoided looking at her.

"I don't think your father would want you to talk to me."

"I'm old enough to make my own decisions."

"I didn't mean to imply you weren't."

"I know you didn't. You're thinking the same thing he's thinking. He thinks that we won't understand. That's why he's kept us away from the lower tiers."

"I don't even understand it all. I wouldn't expect you to."

"He doesn't like it, but we know just as much as he does about wormholes. I know that for every reality there is a possibility of yourself. It doesn't have to be anything like you although many realities do share common themes with each other. You are a possibility of my mother. A life form with almost the same life path except for one event that led your life down a different path from my own mothers."

"You understand this better than I do."

"I understand it better than he does."

"Your father knows I'm not your mother."

"Dad is smart, he knows your not who he wants you to be. But he's also completely human in the fact that he will let his heart lead his mind."

Aeryn had to admit she was amazed at the boy. He was very smart like his father, but he had more common sense and reason than John. John had always put his heart first, she had been taught to do so, but still found she had more reason when it came down to it then John.  
"He can't talk me into staying."

"I know that. He knows that, but it won't stop him from trying." The boy finished fueling her prowler and put the fuel hose to the side. Aeryn stood still as his blue eyes, John's eyes, met hers.

"Dad's a romantic at heart and she was the love of his life. He'll see you as a chance to have her back."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to hurt your father."

"I know you didn't. Sometimes you can't stop some things…and sometimes you can. So I'm going to give you some advice to save your own John. If ever in the future, you find a planet called Utzuhi, listen to your John when he asks you not to go. Doesn't matter what you need or how low your supplies are. Stay away from that planet." She nodded her conformation.

"Learn from my mother's mistake and save your John and your child the pain my mother's death brought us." He turned to go, but she grabbed his arm.

He turned back toward her.

"Thank you."

"I'm glad I got to meet you. Even if you only look like her." He gave her a weak smile before pulling his arm back. She watched him walk down the tier and let her hand rest on her abdomen.

* * *

"Hold this, but don't squeeze it." Draforn handed John something that felt like a water balloon filled with pudding. 

"What is this?"

"Neutral Ionic metabolizer."

"That means nothing to me."

"It is nothing until it is under enough pressure to blow up a prowler. John immediately loosened his hand as much as he could without letting it fall. She had led him into the bowels of the carrier, where an explosion could do the most damage. He didn't argue. His time was running out and if she wanted to blow a small hole in her ship then he wasn't going to stop her.

"Alright give it back."

He handed the thing back to her. She carefully, and slowly wedged it between two pieces of metal and pointed a control at it. A small light flashed on the control before she put it back in her belt.

"Alright let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"As far away from here as possible. I don't know exactly how big this explosion is going to be." She started crawling back through the tunnel. He followed close behind her.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm not a scientist. I've never made one of those before. I think I put in the right amount of tetnite, give or take a little."

"How much will a 'give or take a little' effect it?"

"That is not the point John."

He didn't like that she clearly refused to answer his question. "So what happens when you blow that thing?"

"With the Scarrans on board they are automatically going to think it's an attack against them. Scorpius is going to think it's the Scarrans. All hell breaks loose and you fly away unnoticed."

"You just started a war."

"It's fun John. You should try it. Peacekeepers live for this stuff."

* * *

"Crichton." Scorpius announced as his Commander entered the room. 

"Am I free?" The Peacekeeper Crichton didn't look at his superior as he entered. He was tired of waiting for all this dren to end.

"Not yet, but I have a job for you."

"What kind of job?" He didn't sound interested as he folded his arms in front of his chest and joined his superior, although Scorpius knew he was. Crichton knew that if Scorpius was bringing him out before Ahkna was off the ship then he was going to get to play.

"Officer Draforn is parading someone around as yourself. I want you to find them and bring the male to me."

"Excuse me? What do you mean 'someone as myself'."

"You are aware of her absence?"

"Yes, she said you had her on some special mission thing."

"Negative. I do, however know she came through a wormhole earlier today." He smiled as his Commander perked up. Nothing got Crichton's interest more than wormholes.

"You have my attention."

"I want whoever she brought back with her."

"Why do you get him?"

"Because he may be of value."

"What about her?"

"She is yours to do with as you like."

Now that is what John considered entertainment. Although Draforn probably wouldn't see it the same way. Not that he cared. He had no real feelings for her other than when he found himself in need of an Aeryn substitute.

"Anything? Because you know what I want."

"The Aurora Chair is yours for however long you want it…just bring me the male."

"Anything else?"

"The negotiations aren't going the way I would like them to."

"And what can I do to help that out?" He was playing now. Begging his superior to give him what he had wanted to do for years.

"If you happen upon Empress Ahkna, You have my permission to end her life."

Crichton threw back his shoulders and straightened his collar. "I love my job."

* * *

"Empress Ahkna." The lead Scarran announced his presence as he approached her. 

"Report." She responded.

"They have been guarding Crichton within in his quarters. He left only twice."

"For what purpose?"

"Once to visit a female's quarters and once he was summoned by Scorpius."

"Was the female Aeryn Sun?"

"No, she is currently assigned to a marauder."

"Then we will deal with her later."

"Your orders?"

"Scorpius is not showing signs of submission. Call the flagship. We will be taking this carrier by force."

"And what of Crichton?"

"Bring Crichton to me."

* * *

The older John waited while Aeryn put the last of the supplies he had given her into the prowler. The two arns were up and she was leaving. She was now dressed in the formal Peacekeeper uniform he had given to her upon her request. He didn't know why she needed it and frankly he didn't care. To be truthful he didn't want her to leave at all. He was half tempted to order Talyn to starburst. Not that he actually would. 

"Alright. I'm done." She turned toward him.

"Be careful."

"Thank you, for everything. I understand the danger I put you and your children in because of my presence. I wish it could have been avoided."

"I don't."

"John…" She warned him not to go there.

"I don't think I need to say I want you to stay."

"I can't. I shouldn't be here."

"You said that same thing after Zhaan had brought you back on the Ice planet. Do you remember what I said then?"

She stood silently. She knew what he had said then. The words were as clear to her now as they were then, but she hesitated to say them.

"Aeryn…"

"You said this is exactly where I should be."

"Stay." He was begging her. He would get on his knees if she asked him to.

"I can't."

He stepped toward her and let his hand touch her cheek. She pulled away, but he pulled her back into a short kiss. She pulled herself out of his arms and stepped back.

"Don't do this to yourself John. I'm not her."

"I know that, but if I close my eyes tight enough, I can forget that you're not her." She turned toward her prowler to go.

"Wait stop. I'm sorry."

"I have to go John."

"I know you do. Just let me say this." He took in a deep breath and let it back out. "I didn't get to say good-bye to her. And you're the closest thing I'm ever going to get so…I love you Aeryn Sun. You were my life, my guide, my constant. You still are. I was born on Earth, but I know there was no other place for me to live my life than on this ship with you. I wake up every morning without you and I miss you every damn day of my life. I just wanted you to know that." He let his eyes fall to the ground. He wouldn't watch her go. He couldn't watch her go, not when she was so close to the Aeryn he had lost.

She stood a moment, staring at the man who had lived in this reality, had loved her and lived his life with her. She raised her arm and put her hand against his cheek. He looked up to see her that beautiful smile. Oh how he missed that smile.

"Take care of yourself John. Take care of your children." She kissed him softly on his forehead and turned to get into her prowler. She let out a deep breath as she powered it up, but she didn't look back at him. She knew he was standing there, watching her. She lifted the prowler off the ground and flew it out of the bay. She would never forget this. She would never forget him, or what his son had said to her, but at the moment she had other things to think about. She had to keep her mind on John. Just her John. She took another deep breath as the wormhole opened in front of her. The older John's timing had been perfect. She didn't hesitate as she flew into it. _Alright Einstein, I need your help again. John. Just think about John._ She felt her mind find its way again as Einstein led her through the wormhole. This time there were no distractions. No pain to bring her thoughts away from John. She flew through fork after fork until her mind let her know she had made it. She felt the strong sense of where she needed to go out, but it wasn't open. It was still a closed wall of the wormhole. She neared it, ready to pull away at the last second right as it opened up for her. She flew through the small opening and felt a push as it closed quickly behind her. She thrust the controls forward toward the command carrier that lay before her. Today she would be a Peacekeeper again.

* * *

"Alright brace yourself. If anything happens and we get separated, wait a couple minutes before trying to leave." Draforn ordered. They were walking swiftly, but they were not going anywhere. She was just buying time until they could make it to the docking bay. 

"Got it." John answered.

"Here goes nothing." Draforn slipped her hand down her belt and clicked the control that would compress the explosive. They kept walking down the tier, but nothing happened.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just keep walking." They started to turn down another tier when they heard a deafening explosion. The carrier shifted to the left, throwing Draforn and John against the wall. An alarm immediately started going off.

"Definitely used too much." She pulled herself off of John and tried to stand as the carrier continued to shift to the left.

* * *

Aeryn watched as the carrier fell downward. She could see the end of the left side had suffered massive damage. She pushed her prowler forward. Whatever had happened just gave her the perfect chance to board the carrier. No one was going to take notice of her when the carrier had a hole the size of a Guionhu in it. 

"Guess I Don't need to announce myself."

* * *

"Braca!" Scorpius yelled into his comms as he made his way past the officers that flooded the tier. 

"Sir."

"Scarran?"

"No, sir. The explosion was from within the carrier."

"And the damage?"

"All our main circuits are off line and our conduit center is inaccessible…everything will fail within a quarter of an arn."

"Well then, let's keep this information away from the Scarrans as long as possible."

"The Scarran flagship is also advancing."

"Do not let Ahkna off this ship."

"What would you like me to do sir?"

"Shoot upon the flagship as long as possible. Before we lose power…order a full detonation of the carrier. Ahkna will not commandeer this vessel."

"Yes sir."

"And Braca, have a transport ready for me. When I find Commander Crichton I will be departing. This carrier has just become a battlefield."

**TBC**


	8. Me, Myself and That Other Guy

**One For The Road Part 8: Me, Myself and That Other Guy**

"The carrier is failing Empress." The Scarran informed Ahkna.

"I'm aware of that." Her icy reply was a warning of her mood. She didn't need to be told of the carrier's failing. The fact that the entire ship was slanted and the lights above her had been flickering were clear enough signs that whatever had happened would not be fixed. She was tired of being on this carrier. And she was tired of Scorpius and his arrogance. The fact that the ship she was on had experienced an attack of some kind had pushed her limit.

"We are not sure where the attack originated."

"It wasn't Scorpius. He would not destroy his own carrier especially considering he is still upon it. Have you found Crichton?"

"No."

"If he gets off this ship Captain, I will have your head."

"The bay will be guarded until he is found."

"How long do we have until this carrier loses all function?"

"We are not sure, but it will be within the arn."

"Have my transport ready. Once I find Crichton I will be heading back to the flagship. Until then patrol the tiers. I want this ship decimated."

* * *

"I knew that was a bad idea." John pulled himself off the wall and tried to stand up straight.

"No it was a good idea that went bad. There's a difference." Draforn tried to steady herself as well.

"Not when the end result is destroying the carrier we are currently on."

"Hey, you want off? That's about the biggest diversion I could make. So take it and quit complaining."

"Fine, whatever floats your boat."

"We need to get you to the prowler. All hands will be called to help with repairs, so it should be empty by the time we get there."

They pushed themselves through the masses of Peacekeepers that littered the tiers. Each one going a different way and not taking notice of anyone else. They were all too preoccupied with whatever they were doing. Peacekeepers kept bumping in to him as they pushed through everyone. The thought occured to him that they were probably all going to die. Did it matter? To him it did. They didn't belong to his reality, but they were real to themselves. Too many had died because of his actions. This was just another blotched plan to go on his list of blotched plans.

"John you gotta keep up."

He looked up to find Draforn was ahead of him. She had almost gotten them to the end of the tier. They weren't far away from the prowlers. He would be off this carrier, out of this reality and on his way to Aeryn. Aeryn. He didn't really have time to wonder about where she was. He just hoped she was safe.

* * *

Aeryn had no problem getting on the command carrier. There was no one even in the bay when she stepped out of her prowler. She wasn't complaining, she had enough to do at the moment. First being, finding John. She thought it would have been easy to sight the one person that didn't belong here, but what she was hearing told her otherwise. She could hear pistols going off not far from where she was. She had no idea what was going on, but she knew it couldn't be good and it wasn't going to make finding John easy. She pulled her own pistol out of its holster as she rounded the corner into the next tier. It was mostly empty. Not a good sign. She ran to the end of this tier and peered into the next. This one was covered in Scarrans. Peacekeeper bodies lined the floor around them. What were Scarrans doing on a Peacekeeper command carrier? She was starting to get that feeling. This was bad. She needed to find John and fast, but she wasn't going to be able to take all of the Scarrans by herself. She took a quick look around her and spotted an air vent. Perfect.

* * *

"Braca." Scorpius announced himself as he entered command.

Braca didn't turn from what he was doing as he answered. "Scarrans are attacking. They've taken control of the bay and the lower tiers."

"Then our secret is out."

"I would say so, Sir."

"Do we know where Commander Crichton is?"

Braca touched some controls on the console. "He's making his way down tier 14."

"And what about our Empress?"

"Tier 7."

"How long do we have left?"

"We've bought us some time with energy reserves, but not long."

"Notify me if anything changes."

"What do you plan to do?"

"Find Crichton, before Ahkna does."

* * *

Draforn had finally gotten them out of the crowded tiers and into more empty ones. Well, they were almost empty, except for the bodies that covered the floor. For every one Scarran that lay on the ground there were three Peacekeepers. John moved as quickly as possible while trying to step over them. 

"We have to get you off the ship." Draforn told him as she made her way through the carnage.

"Thank you for the observation."

"I really am sorry about this John."

"Yeah, well you can send me flowers later." He almost ran into her when she stopped suddenly in the middle of the tier.

"What?" he asked as he raised his pistol.

"Listen." It was silent except for a faint scraping coming from the wall. Both raised their pistols and pointed at the air vent in front of them. Something crashed against the covering as it dented. It was hit again and the cover came off.

John lowered his pistol as Aeryn climbed out of the vent.

"Hey gorgeous." He smiled at her.

They had finally found each other. After every frelling thing that had happened to them today, they had found each other. John took a step forward and took her into his arms. She did the same as he kissed her deeply. He didn't want to let go, but also knew this was not the place to act out their full reunion. They would save that for Moya.

"Are you all right?" He asked as he stood back enough to look into her face. His hands cupped around her cheeks.

She nodded her answer. "You?"

He didn't give a verbal answer either as he bent his face forward and kissed her again.

"I hate to interrupt, but we really have to go." They both turned to Draforn who was edging forward trying to get them to follow. The two separated and followed, pistols aimed.

"Did you have fun at work today?" He asked turning to the tier that opened on his side. It was empty like the others.

"It's a long story. Ask me about it later." She had so much to tell him. Some things she wanted to talk to him about and some things she didn't. But it would all have to wait.

"How exactly did you find us?"

"Einstein."

"I figured he had intervened. Let me guess he's not a happy camper."

"I think we've really gotten ourselves in trouble this time."

"Baby, when are we not in trouble?"

"Einstein said to tell you that for every agreeable event in one reality there must be a trade-off of an unagreeable event. He said you would understand."

John didn't answer as he checked another tier.

"John?"

"It means I am not going to like how this ends."

She started to say something else, when Draforn stopped at the end of the tier.

"We've got a problem."

John and Aeryn peeked around to see what she was talking about. Scarrans were blocking the tier that led to the bay.

"They've got all the tiers leading to the bay blocked." Aeryn informed them, remembering the reason she had been in that vent in the first place.

"That's why I said we had a problem."

"To quote you Draforn, it's only a problem if you make it a problem." John reloaded his pistols and walked out into the tier firing.

Aeryn and Draforn followed behind him. They ran behind the supports of the walls as the Scarrans returned fire. Each one of them waited until they were clear to stick out their heads and shoot again. They had two down and three to go. Aeryn kicked the body below her out of her way and noticed what was beside it. She pulled off the pulse rifle that lay around the Peacekeeper's neck and held it tightly to her shoulder as she shot at the Scarran closest to her. She had aimed for his head and that was all it took as he fell to his knees.

"Yeah, why don't you just do that." Draforn yelled staying behind the support to protect herself. Aeryn fired at the only Scarran left that John wasn't firing on. She did the same as she aimed for the head and watched him fall as John's did as well. They still had their weapons aimed as they stepped from behind the supports and made their way into the bay.

"Alright I'm going to open the hanger door." Draforn called over her shoulder as she went to the console.

"I missed you." He whispered as he leaned his back against Aeryn's, his pistol still aimed and pointed at the tier to his left. She was looking to the tier on the right.

"It wasn't that long ago, John."

"Yeah, well I'm tired of losing you. Even if it is only for a couple of arns. I would like to be able to spend some part of our engagement when we aren't being kidnapped and fighting our way out of whatever mess we find ourselves in."

"Well, get me off this carrier and I'll see what I can do." Her playful answer was all he needed.

"You need to move a little faster there, Draforn." He yelled at the Peacekeeper. "First thing we do back on Moya is lock ourselves in our quarters for as long as I can keep you in there." He kept his pistol pointed at the tier, but turned to face Aeryn. She turned her head sideways, still guarding her own tier.

"You have me for the rest of your life John." He smoothed back her hair with his free hand before kissing her. This one was short and sweet and when it ended they kept their faces very close, breathing each other in.

"Wouldn't you know it!" Draforn yelled as she kicked the console.

This brought John and Aeryn over to where she was.

"Don't tell me another problem?" John didn't need an answer. Nothing was ever easy in his life.

"Some of the conduits are out and I can't access the hanger from here."

"So where do we need to go?" John asked.

"Command." Aeryn answered.

"Oh, hell no."

"There is another way. I can try to turn the conduit back on manually long enough for someone to open the door."

"Fine, you go."

"Actually I have the two person job. Aeryn needs to come with me and you stay here."

"Why Aeryn?"

"Were you ever a Peacekeeper, John?"

"Yeah and I was never a tech." Aeryn chimed in.

"No, but you'll know more than he does. Look we are running out of time. Pay attention. When this light comes back on, push these two down at the same time." She pointed out to him what she wanted him to do.

"Got it."

He turned to Aeryn. "See? I'm always losing you." He gave a quick kiss before he watched her walk away.

* * *

"Empress." 

"Do not bother me now." Ahkna replied through her comm. as she made her way to the docking bay. She shot a Peacekeeper that ran into the tier and walked past him as he fell to his knees. She had given up on Crichton. The carrier had become a mess of Peacekeepers and Scarrans and getting through to some tiers were impossible at this time. If Crichton survived this, which she doubted, she would find him later.

"Aeryn Sun is aboard the carrier." The Scarran reported.

Ahkna stopped walking. "Where is she?"

"In a lower tunnel. She and another headed into it on Tier 6. I am standing guard until they come back."

"No, go to the transport and await my arrival. I will take care of Aeryn Sun."

* * *

"I was surprised you got yourself here." Draforn broke the silence the two women had wielded between them.

Aeryn was following Draforn through the narrow tunnel that led to the service area they needed. She didn't answer. Aeryn didn't like this woman. If she had left John alone they wouldn't be in this mess.

"I'm trying to fill the silence, Aeryn."

"I do not feel we need to fill anything between us." Aeryn's reply was cold, she wanted the Peacekeeper to know of her disdain.

"I apologized to John."

"And do you think that means anything?"

"And do you think I really care if it doesn't? Like I said, I have nothing against you, he was just my ticket home." She was trying to be mutual, not that she needed to be.

"Well I think we are all going to find out just what that ticket cost."

"Don't be all high and mighty with me, Aeryn. You were once a Peacekeeper. You played the bad girl and you liked it."

"Once being the operative word."

"Tell me you don't miss this."

"I don't"

"You lie." Draforn stopped in the tunnel and opened a small latch to get to the circuits behind it.

"I don't need to explain anything to you."

"No, but ask yourself, why are you down here with me and not up there with him?"

"You said you needed me."

"Say what you like. Hold this." Draforn handed Aeryn some wires she had cut.

"Look Draforn, I don't expect you to understand, but there is life beyond being a Peacekeeper. There is more than missions and ranks. I am sorry that this life…this unimportant job we were made to think was better than everything else is all you have. Because let me tell you it's not better. What I have is better than anything you will ever experience as a Peacekeeper. I am happy with who I am. When was the last time you felt like that?"

Draforn didn't answer as she connected the wires she had in her hand with the ones in Aeryn's. She didn't meet her eyes either.

* * *

John stared at the console. Nothing. The girls needed to hurry. He didn't know how long they had before the Scarrans realized the bay was unguarded. He just wanted off this ship. He wanted back to his own reality. He wanted to be on Moya. He missed Moya. He hadn't realized the last time he had been on the Leviathan, he hadn't known the baby was his and Aeryn hadn't said she would marry him yet. They would have a lot to talk about on their return. And maybe…just maybe he could have his future wife all to himself for five minutes with no wormholes, no Peacekeepers and no Scarrans.

He was brought out of his thoughts as the console light came on. "Here we go." He started to compress the channels Draforn had pointed out.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A familiar voice called out.

John slowly turned around to look at himself.

"I thought we should meet. We being the same person and all." Peackeeper him had a pulse rifle pointed at him. "So you're what Draforn brought back."

"And you're the horn-dog big bad Peacekeeper."

"When in Rome John. Have you seen the females on this ship?"

"I prefer non-Peacekeepers."

"Oh no, let me tell you Peacekeeper girls are just kinky."

"I thought Peacekeepers didn't have long relationships. I hear you are a one gal guy when she's around."

"Yes, the delicious Aeryn Sun. Now there's a ride. How can you walk away from her? Come on John, I'm still human first. And Aeryn…well you really wouldn't understand Aeryn."

"Actually I think I would. See we have the same background they tell me. I just got the better end of the deal because Aeryn and I got back to Moya and away from Crais."

"Well isn't this just one big coincidence? We both being thrown into space and ending up with the same girl. It's kinda sweet."

"We are very different people."

"Does your Aeryn favor the bed? I tell ya, mine will drop her pants anywhere. And she does this thing with her tongue." He ignored John's last comment. He was just seeing how far he could push him.

"Don't go there buddy." John's fists were tightening. This guy, this possibility of him was nothing like himself.

"Alright, don't want to kiss and tell anyway. So let's see. Where's Draforn? Your only half of what I need." Peacekeeper John slowly started taking steps closer toward the other him. The rifle was still pointed at John.

John glanced down at the console. The light was off, which meant the girls were making their way back. "She's around here somewhere."

"Well we'll just wait for her then. She's my reward, so I'm not taking you anywhere until she shows up."

"Don't you get her for free?"

"Oh no, I don't want her that way. That's just mutual fun. She won't like what I have planned for her. There's this chair. The Aurora chair and I'm gonna take her on a long extended ride on it."

"What the hell happened to you?"

"It's all about nature John. What I really am. What you really are."

"You're sadistic."

"I'm only what can be made of me John. You know anything about wormholes and other realities? Other than that you came through a wormhole and this _is_ another reality."

"I would have to answer yes."

"Well, see wormholes are a little hobby of mine. I know all there is to know about them."

"I doubt that."

"You see you are a possibility of me. A way I could have gone, but didn't. So we can reverse it for you."

"I won't believe that."

"Remember being a teenager? Remember how angry you were? Where did that anger go, John? Away? No, suppressed. I just happened to find a life where…I guess you would say I utilize that suppressed anger to better the world."

"What Peacekeepers do doesn't qualify as making anything better."

"That's a difference of opinion."

"So what? Scorpius takes you under his wing and suddenly all this suppressed anger comes up? Bull."

"What has Draforn been telling you? Tsk. I'm going to have to teach her a lesson. When Scorpius took me under his wing, as you call it, he put me in The Aurora Chair for hours everyday. Do you know what that feels like?"

"Yep. Been on the ride myself."

"Do you know what it feels like to be put in that chair for hours everyday for five years?"

John was silent this time.

"That's what I thought. See Scorpius knew what he was doing. After a year he knew what memories to bring up that hurt me the most."

"What do you want pity?"

"No no. I'm happy John. I am a Commander over thousands, I always have a girl to keep my bed warm and I get almost everything I ever ask for. Suffering John. Suffering usually brings great joy in the end."

"How touching." John's sarcastic reply hit a nerve with the Peacekeeper, who quickly hit him with the side of his rifle. John fell to his knees from the force and wiped his hand across his nose to find blood.

"Scorpius wants you for himself, but I think I might change some plans." He turned his neck as far as it would go and cracked it before returning to his attention to his prisoner. He kicked him as hard as he could in the gut and John doubled over, holding himself.

"Because hey, this carrier is going to fail and we are all gonna die anyway." He kneeled down and pulled John up by his collar. "So why don't I just have my fun why I still can."

* * *

Draforn pulled herself out of the tunnel and back into the tier. Aeryn followed soon after. Neither had said a word to each other on the way back. 

"Let's get back to John." Draforn started down the tier with Aeryn in tow when two shots were fired. Draforn slowly turned around right before she fell to her knees. She had been shot in the back. She glanced up at Aeryn before falling face forward onto the ground. Aeryn didn't notice. She was holding her hand against her own wound on her side and staring at her attacker who still had a weapon pointed at her.

"Officer Sun, I've been waiting to see you again for a very long time." Empress Ahkna announced as she let off another shot.

**TBC**

* * *

Reviews make me feel special! 


	9. Ashes Ashes, They All Fall Down

**One For The Road Part 9: Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Down**

Peacekeeper John threw his rifle to the side. "Let's make this fair, shall we." He let go of the other John's collar and stood back up in fighting stance. This was going to be fun.

"I don't have time for this." John stood up, but stepped away from the Peacekeeper.

"Well, you're not getting off this carrier, so I don't see what else you have to do." Peacekeeper Crichton stepped forward and swung a left hook. John blocked it and forced the Peacekeeper's arm down.

"If you kill me, you will cause a ripple in the realities." John put his fists up to his face. He was going to have to do this.

"And why should I care?" Peacekeeper John swung again, but quickly followed with a kick that got John in the face as he ducked the punch.

John stumbled back, but quickly regained himself.

"Come, on. Don't you want to see who could take who?" The Peacekeeper taunted.

"Not when it means screwing with realities."

"Now don't make this easy. I want a real fight." The Peacekeeper advanced and threw a series of punches that John blocked or ducked out of. Without thinking he threw his own punch which connected with the Peacekeeper's cheek.

"That's what I'm talking about." Peacekeeper John threw another punch that connected with John's face.

John quickly followed with a high kick that knocked the Peacekeeper down. John stepped back as the Peacekeeper pulled himself up and stood, watching the other John.

"You know I've always wanted to do this." Peacekeeper John held out his hand and beckoned John to come forward as Morpheus had done in the Matrix.

"This isn't a game."

"Not for you maybe, but when am I ever going to get another chance like this." He advanced again, but John threw the first punch. Peackeeper John blocked it and threw one that was blocked as well. They stayed there a moment with each other's arms holding the opponents arms down.

"Seems kind of pointless." John reasoned.

Peacekeeper John smiled and then head butted him. John fell back and was immediately kicked in the gut. He fell to the ground. Peacekeeper John kicked him again and rolled him onto his back, standing above him. John pulled the Peacekeeper's legs from under him and pulled himself up as the Peacekeeper lay on his back. This time he did the kicking.

"Damn it. I'm not going to do this." He turned to walk away, but stopped as Scorpius pointed the discarded rifle in his face.

"Well done John."

"Scorpius, he's mine." The Peacekeeper yelled as he stood up, holding his side.

"Commander you are dismissed." Scorpius ordered.

"I don't take orders from you any longer." The Peacekeeper spat. He wanted the other him to himself and he wasn't going to let Scorpius interfere.

"I think you will." Scorpius countered as he shot Peacekeeper John in the leg and quickly pointed it back at the John in front of him.

"You're going to go to Command and wait for my signal with Braca. I've grown tired of you Commander." He turned his attention back to the other John. "You however bring me new possibilities."

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

"I beg to differ." Scorpius raised the rifle to John's face. "You will enter that transport." Scorpius glanced over at the ship he planned to take.

"Over my dead body."

"As you wish." He raised the butt of the rifle up and hit John on the head.

John fell to his knees as Scorpius raised the rifle to hit him again, but before he could bring it down a shot fired. John turned his head to see the Peacekeeper him holding a pistol.

"Always carry a spare you son of a bitch." Peacekeeper John fired again and again, until Scorpius fell to his knees.

"And always know your enemies weak spots. That's something you taught me." Peacekeeper John walked over to his superior and kicked him in the gut. "Looks like I'm the boss now." He looked down at John who had a flow of blood running down the side of his head. "Now where were we?" He pulled John up by his collar and put his pistol back in its holster.

Before he could look back up John punched him square in the face. He followed with a left hook and a kick to the side. Peacekeeper John went down and John straddled him with his head between his knees. "Remember this?"

"Aeryn's favorite position." The Peacekeeper answered.

John hit him again.

"I usually like to be the one on top these days."

John hit the Peacekeeper again.

"It wasn't hard to find your weak spot John. You have that love sick look to you. You're whipped."

"You know nothing about me." John yelled at him.

"Oh I know quite a bit."

John hit the Peacekeeper again and again. Punch after a punch. "Shut up. Shut up! You know nothing." He kept punching him until the laughter from the Peacekeeper made him stop.

"Do you see? Anger John. Anger feeds us both. You can lie to yourself all you want, but all it takes is for the right buttons to be pushed before it surfaces. It's waiting, brewing beneath your skin ready to explode. You're more like me then you think John."

"No, I'm not." John's anger was rising. At this moment he hated himself. Not the Peacekeeper him, but himself, because the other him was right. This was a possibility. Possible. His breathing grew short as his temper rose. Peacekeeper John was just smiling at him. Smiling that sadistic "I told you so" smile. Before John could stop himself his hand flew for the pistol in the Peacekeeper's belt. He put the pistol to the other John's forehead and fired it. He immediatly regretted it.

He threw the pistol away in disgust and looked at his hands. What had he done? He looked back at the smiling Peacekeeper, who now had a bloody hole in his head, and then back at his hands. He stood up in total shock. He had done the one thing he knew meant death. He had destroyed something that would affect who knew how many lives.

A small ripple in the air proved it. He looked to the side to see the walls of the carrier rippling as if they were water.

He brought himself out of his stupor. Something was happening to the reality. He had to find Aeryn and he had to find her now. He turned from his dead self and ran down the tier, leaving the two bodies behind. Teacher and student, lying in their own pools of blood.

* * *

Aeryn cried out and fell to the ground as Ahkna's second shot hit her lower leg. She gritted her teeth, trying not to cry out again.

"I actually owe you a great deal my dear." The Empress approached the Peackeeper.

Aeryn slid her hand down to her belt for her pistol.

"You do, and you'll be dead before it leaves its holster."

"I'm not who you think I am."

"I doubt that. You are one of the two Peacekeepers who murdered Emperor Staleek."

"Thought you would thank the person who made you supreme ruler."

"Yes, you did do me a favor, but my people require vengeance and I can't have you and your Peacekeeper lover around to do the same to me." Ahkna put the weapon in Aeryn's face and pulled the dark raven hair back, forcing Aeryn to look up.

"I didn't kill Emperor Staleek."

"You must think I'm stupid, Officer Sun. I was in the room when it happened. I saw you and Crichton do it myself. Why do you think it was so easy to get onto our ship?"

"Because Scarrans _are_ stupid."

Ahkna pointed the weapon at Aeryn's other leg and shot it. Aeryn didn't cry out this time, but took a deep intake of breath and both hands flew to the new wound. Her hands were now covered with her own blood.

"Really? Is that how we took this carrier so easily? Look around you, there are more Peacekeeper bodies on the ground then my kind."

"This carrier doesn't have long."

"I don't plan on being here much longer." Ahkna lowered her head down to look straight at Aeryn.

"Scarrans have a very highly advanced sense of smell. Do you know what I smell Officer Sun?"

"Not fear."

"No. Not from you. I do however smell the nauseating scent of procreation." Ahkna lowered her weapon and pressed it against Aeryn's abdomen.

Aeryn's hands tightened against her wound. She wanted to spit in the Scarran's face. Normally she wouldn't care about the weapon pointed at her, but today she did. There was another life she had to worry about. She was defenseless at the moment. Ahkna was going to kill her, unless John showed up first.

"You should thank me for taking your life before you could bring another useless life form into this world."

"Crichton will kill you."

"I look forward to meeting him. To see the look on his face as he sees you for the first time dead. Does he know you carry a child?"

"No." Aeryn lied.

"I think your lying." Ahkna stepped back and put her hand forward, thrusting the heat upon the Sebacean female.

Aeryn had to put her hand on the floor to steady herself from falling backward.

"Does Crichton know of the child?"

"Y-yes." Aeryn stuttered.

"Is he still aboard?"

"I d-don't know."

Ahkna intensified the heat. "You lie. Do you know if he is still aboard?"

"Y-yes…he i-is."

Ahkna lowered her hand and Aeryn crumpled to the floor. Ahkna stepped back and beheld the female. "How fragile you really are."

Aeryn was lying in a growing pool of her own blood.

"I'm still superior." Aeryn raised her head to look at Ahkna.

"Superior? In a moment you will be dead Officer Sun. How does that make you superior?"

"Because I'm not afraid of you."

* * *

John ran down the tier. Where was Aeryn? The walls around him were rippling even more. He needed to find her now. He turned into the next tier and stopped.

There she was, lying on the ground in front of Empress Ahkna, who had her back to him.

"Because I am not afraid of you." He heard Aeryn say to the Scarran. Aeryn mustered a soft smile as she saw John before Ahkna let off another shot. This time at Aeryn's head. Aeryn's body went limp.

"No!" He screamed as he aimed his pistol and shot the weapon out of Ahkna's hand. She quickly turned toward him clutching her hand that was now missing three of her fingers. She bent down for the weapon and he shot again. He didn't say a word as he ran to her and kicked the weapon away from her reach. She was still bent forward, so he kicked her in the face and knocked her on her back. He ignored the Scarran a moment as he went to Aeryn. He wiped the hair from her face. A small trickle of blood ran down the center of it from the hole on her forehead.

"No!" He screamed again turning back to the Empress who still lay on the floor. "Why…you bitch…you…" He felt his emotion turn hot with anger. He let off another shot as Ahkna turned to stand, this time in her leg. His hands were shaking, still taking in what he had just saw.

"I just got her back." He whispered to himself. "I just got her back!" He looked straight up and yelled it this time. He turned back to Aeryn. His Aeryn. The mother of his child who lay lifeless in front of him. He could see Ahkna had shot her numerous times before the last fatal one.

He turned back to the Empress, he would do the same to her. He let off another shot that hit the Scarran's foot.

"You can kill me Crichton. But I will have won."

He shot her again, this time in the leg. She didn't cry out. She would not show weakness in front of the Peacekeeper.

"You don't get to speak." He forced his voice to work. Out of the corner of his eye he could still see Aeryn. She was dead. His life, his Aeryn was dead.

"I enjoyed taking the life of your offspring more than I did hers."

Another shot, this time on her thigh. His anger was rising. He felt his entire body tense. He could hear his heart beat grow faster as he stilled his body. He would kill her. He would kill her slowly. He bent down and stuck a finger in one of the holes he had put in her. He pushed his finger as far down as it would go, this time getting a scream from the Empress.

She raised her head from the pain and he put the pulse pistol to her head.

"You will pay for that. Slowly and painfully."

"You are a weak species Crichton. You have always been a weak species."

His finger tightened against the trigger. She wanted him to do it. That was her easy way out. He looked back at Aeryn. No, this was going to be slow for her.

"You will die for what you've done."

"Unimportant."

"It's…important…to me."

**"It's all about nature John. What I really am. What you really are."**

The words Peacekeeper John had said echoed through his mind. This wasn't him. He had to stop, but another glance at Aeryn fueled his anger. No. She was dead. His child would never be born and the Scarran bitch was going to pay. His lips tightened. No, he would do this. He would do this and he wouldn't end up like the other him.

**"Anger John. Anger feeds us both."**

Again the words his Peacekeeper self spoke came to his mind.  
"No." He whispered through clenched teeth. She had killed Aeryn. She had taken the one thing that mattered to him most in this world. What did he have left? She had taken everything. She deserved what death he had to offer her.

**"You can lie to yourself all you want, but all it takes is for the right buttons to be pushed before it surfaces. It's waiting, brewing beneath your skin ready to explode. Your more like me then you think John."**

No, he wasn't. The fight within him was raging. He wanted to hurt her. He wanted to hurt her so badly for what she had done to him, but this was not the way. He would kill her, yes, but not this way. Taking her life had to be enough no matter what he felt. He would not be like the Peacekeeper him that lay dead on the floor of the docking bay. He closed his eyes as a single tear fell down his cheek.

"Weak." She whispered.

He opened his eyes. "No not weak. I am stronger than you. I am stronger than this because I am not like either of you." He forced the pulse pistol into her mouth and moved closer so that his mouth was next to her ear. "You took my life. So I'm going to take yours. This is for Aeryn Sun. This is for my child that will never be born. Die…and rot in hell."

He raised his head again to look into her eyes as he pulled the trigger.The shot rang out and he felt blood splatter onto his cheek.

Her head fell back and her body hit the floor.

He leaned back, breathing deeply. It was done. He felt nothing for it. He was tired of death. He was tired of living like this. He threw the pistol to the side and turned back to Aeryn. The walls were rippling all around him, but he didn't care. He crawled over to his love and sat on the floor next to her. He pulled her cold limp body into his lap.

"Oh, baby." The tears were flowing now. Falling into her hair as he kissed the top of her head. He slowly rocked her back and forth. He was always losing her. Always losing her.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Aeryn." He let the back of his hand stroke her cheek, smearing her blood as he did.

"I'm coming baby." He whispered into her hair. He didn't care anymore, about anything. The carrier was rippling all around him. The reality was breaking up. But he didn't care. He was going to join her soon. They would be together, at last.

* * *

Officer Braca watched the last of the lights start to fail on the console. It was done. There was no more time. He raised his shaky hand and placed it on the button. He closed his eyes and pressed it down.

The carrier immediately detonated, causing a large ripple to flow over the galaxy. Then a flash of light filled everything and then there was nothing.

* * *

John was no longer on the carrier, but he wasn't dead either. No, he found himself on the familiar snow covered place he had been to before.

"You have no idea what you have done." Einstein said in his usual cool voice as he stepped out from behind the snowy wall.

"Why didn't you just leave me there?" John was still in the same position as on the carrier. He was kneeling. He still had Aeryn's blood on his hands. He still had the gash on the side of his head. It had all happened. It had been real and she was gone.

"The damage you have caused must be repaired."

"Why didn't you just leave me there?" He repeated. There was no tone, no emotion in his voice. He was already dead. He was void of all life except for a growing annoyance that his heart was still beating.

"Your death would serve no purpose."

"Don't care, you should have left me there."

" 'There' does not exist. That reality had to be destroyed. The ripple you caused damaged numerous time lines, but letting the reality continue would damage more."

"Why didn't you bring her back?" John looked down at his lap where just a moment ago he had cradled her still form.

"Your retrieval was due to your sustained life. Aeryn Sun had none."

"We shouldn't have been there."

"Correct."

"So why does she have to pay for this? This wasn't something we chose. So why did her life have to be taken?"

"We do not control circumstances. Only see them. What is done is done."

"Bull."

"Now you must deal with the consequences."

"I'm not dealing with anything."

"Your reality has already been affected. We cannot stop that."

"Aeryn is dead. Everything I fought so hard to get was taken from me today. So forgive me if I don't give a frell about your consequences."

"Thousands will die. The ripple has put a series of events into place that will change the future for the worse."

"I don't care anymore."

"Yes, you do."

"Did you hear me? I don't care." John was on his feet now. He approached the image of the older man and put his bloody hands in his face.

"Do you see that? That is all I have left of her. Four frelling years and this is all that's left of her…you should have left me there." He turned from the gentleman, devoid of emotion again.

"You must return to your own reality and repair what can be repaired."

"I didn't ask for this you know. This crap in my head was given to me. I didn't ask for it. I didn't ask to be chased by every power house in the galaxy. You want to blame someone, don't look at me."

"None the less, you will do as I say."

"And what if I don't? What if I gave the Scarran's and the Peacekeeper's all I know?"

"More realities would be destroyed."

"They want it so badly and I don't care anymore. There is nothing…nothing I care about."

"We would end your life first before we allowed you to share your knowledge."

"So do it." He approached the man again and put out his arms.

"I won't stop you. Do it."

Einstein watched, but did nothing. He had that same expressionless face as he always did.

"Come on do it!" John yelled. He didn't want to go back. Not without her. He couldn't…he couldn't go back without her. There was no point. No reason for him too. "I'm done." He whispered as he fell back to his knees. He looked back down at his hands. The blood was dried now, a dark red and brown.

"I'm not going to play anymore, Einstein."

"For every agreeable event in one reality there must be a trade-off of an unagreeable event."

"Yeah, I got the message."

"You must fix what you tore."

"Yeah, and how am I supposed to do that?"

"Take back what can be changed."

"Take back? Take back what?"

"The events you were a part of have started a downfall of other realities. So though it is dangerous, we will allow you to go back and change an event to better the current state of time."

"You want me to change the future. None of this would have happened?"

"In a sense, yes."

John closed his eyes. He could change it. Take it all back and have her again. Have a chance to be a father, to love her, marry her and to live out his life with her. "You would allow me to change it? To cause another ripple?"

"It would still be better than what the affected realities face now."

"Fine, I go back and me and the future Mrs. don't get in the boat. We won't leave Moya."

"No, we know what events will cause what ripples. We can only allow you to change what we see fit."

"And what would that be?"

"You have two choices. One is you stop yourself from entering space the day you first flew the wormhole. You stay on Earth."

"No way." John stood back up again.

"The effect is one of the lesser of a million different evils. It is one that we have decided will better our position."

"I won't do that."

"You must sacrifice. I told you there must be a trade off. This is how it must work."

"And Aeryn? What will happen to her?"

"She will perish as will the other beings that found themselves on Moya that day. Without you Crais would have destroyed the Leviathan when he had the chance."

"Then I don't consider that a choice."

"Your only other option is to return to the time after Aeryn Sun returned to your Leviathan with the Peacekeeper Scorpius."

"And do what?"

"She asked you a question. A question we need you to change your answer to."

"What question?" John didn't like that Einstein wouldn't just come out and say it. Although this choice sounded better, he knew he wasn't going to like it.

"When she asks if her staying is a problem, you must say yes."

"No."

"Aeryn Sun must not stay on the Leviathan."

"No. No way."

"She must not be apart of the events you encountered the last cycle."

"You don't understand. I won't do that. There has to be another choice."

"There is not. These are your only two."

"Then no." John turned from the gentlemen, putting his hands on his hips. He wouldn't get her back to send her away. He wouldn't lie to her and watch her fly away from him again.

"Your child would be born this way. She will find a Sebacean colony and give birth. Aeryn Sun will live longer than you. Take comfort in that."

"You want me to give up another child? How am I supposed to live like that?"

"Live knowing you saved her life, your child's life and the lives of countless more."

"There's no other way?"

"No." John looked back at his hands. God, he had no choice. Living without her was painful, but living with her death was agony.

"I do this…you promise me she will be fine. The baby will be fine."

"Both will live out their lives in peace."

"And all I have to do is tell her to leave?"

"Yes. Once time has realigned with the ripple you will cause I will take you back to the day you were crystallized. You and you alone will hold the memory of the other reality that was destroyed, but you will also have a new memory of the last cycle without Aeryn Sun."

"So make the wormhole already."

"No wormholes. We must assure you do not end up where you should not be. We will be transporting you straight there."

"Do it."

"Remember John Crichton, there is a trade-off. Aeryn Sun will live."

**TBC**

* * *

One more chapter left. Dum dum dum! Reviews make me feel special! 


	10. Time, It's Always About Time

**One For The Road Part 10: Time, It's Always About Time **

A falsh of light.

He was back on Moya standing in command staring out at the stars. He looked down at his hands that showed no signs that they had just been covered with Aeryn's blood. He was back. Not just back on Moya. He was back to the day he had returned to find Aeryn and Scorpius aboard the Leviathan. Aeryn wasn't dead here. Any moment she was going to walk in behind him. He felt his skin go cold with the thought. He couldn't do this. God, he had just watched her die and she was about to walk in behind him. How was he going to lie to her? How was he going to tell her she couldn't stay on Moya? He didn't know. He just kept replaying her death in his mind. Seeing Ahkna fire the shot and Aeryn falling limp against the cold floor of the command carrier. Maybe he could do this. If he just kept reminding himself that she would be okay. He may live the rest of his life without her, but she would be okay. He had to remember that was what was important. Even if he had to wake up every morning knowing what he had lost and remembering a cycle no one else knew existed, she would be okay. He had to do this for her. He had to do this for his child.

"Hi."

He heard her say from behind him. Her voice was so sweet. All he wanted to do was turn around and take her into his arms, but no. He looked down at his hands. He would watch her die again if he did. He turned to look at her. She was so beautiful. Despite the fact that she had been fighting heat delirium just arns ago, she had never looked more beautiful to him than this moment.

"Hey." He answered. It was the same greeting he had given her that day, but the truth was that was all he could get out. He felt his voice constrict and turned back to the stars so she couldn't see his hurt expression. He was just making this harder on himself. He couldn't keep her. Not this time.

"What are you looking at?" It was the same question she had asked the first time. Every line and every movement was as it was then. Except this was going to end differently. The last time it hadn't ended well, but this would be far worse. And here he had the chance to change it. He could put aside his anger and confusion and hold her. Tell her how he needed her more than anything and fix so many things over that cycle he now wanted to fix. But that chance would lead to the same thing. She would die.

"Nothing in particular." He turned to face her now as she sat at the table and looked down at the floor.

"I'd like to stay."

"Well, I'm sure Moya…would be happy with that." He wanted to say he would too. He wanted her to stay. He was starting to doubt if he would be able to do this. The more he looked at her, the more she spoke, the more he realized that a life without her, whether she was dead or just away from him, was no life. He needed her.

"I need to recover." She was making excuses and he knew it. They both knew why she was back and why she needed to stay. She of course didn't know he knew.

"Is there any other reason?" He hated saying that. It was his hint to her to talk about the pregnancy. He didn't want to talk about it. It was hard enough to make her leave when she thought he didn't know she was pregnant, but if she told him then she would think he didn't care. When it was the complete opposite. He had to stick as close to original scene as possible. She had to ask the right question and he had to give her a different answer.

"I need to help you keep an eye on Scorpius."

He had to look away from her. He had to look at anything but her. He chose the floor. He was starting to lose it. Her simple presence was pushing him. She had no idea what he had been through today. What he had seen. That he had cradled her body in his arms and covered his hands in her own blood. She would never know. She sat before him in total ignorance of what she was doing to him and of what he was going to have to do to her.

"I'm not gonna hurt him. I gave you my word." He had to stay focused.

"I know."

His eyes move back to look at her. She's looking straight at him. Smiling. Not her usual smile. Not the one that he loved so much. No, this was a soft uncomfortable smile. She thought he was angry. He had been that first day when they had lived through this scene, but not now. Anger was the farthest thing away from his mind. He wanted to tell her that. To let her know it was okay.

"I want to be here."

It's coming. His hands start to fidget as he realizes in one microt he was going to tell her to leave.

She tilts her head slightly. "Is there a problem?"

And there it was. His cue. He was now supposed to save the universe by changing his answer. He closed his eyes for a moment and made himself once again picture her lifeless form. Once again she would be his inspiration. Just in another way. He opened his eyes and looked back at her. "I think it would be better if you didn't stay on Moya."

She looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry John. For everything."

This was new. Everything from here out had no set path.

"I think we are passed apologies." He could see the hurt in her eyes. She had let her guard down and made herself vulnerable in front of him. She didn't expect forgiveness and although she wouldn't say it, she needed him right now. He didn't see that the first time. But he had to play the angry and hurt Crichton and in doing so he was hurting her.

"I know, but I wanted to say it." She looked back up at him, her eyes pleading. She needed to stay. She needed him to say she could stay. She waited for him to say something, but he didn't. "I don't want to leave with Scorpius here."

"I'm a big boy Aeryn. I can take care of him myself."

"So you want me to go?"

"I need you to go."

She nodded and lifted herself up off the table. He had to look back at the floor as her eyes watered. She stood a moment waiting for something to be said. But there was silence. She should have known. They never said goodbye, not really. But this was it. If he wanted her gone, she wouldn't come back. So she waited. If he would just say one word. Let her know that maybe they had a chance. But still there was silence. She turned to go, but stopped herself. The reason she had come back. If she told him, would he change his mind? She turned back toward him. "I want to tell you…" She started trying to keep her voice in check. Her emotions were getting the better of her.  
"…why I came back."

He turned toward her. There it was. His breaking point. If she said that, even though he already knew, it would be over. "Doesn't matter Aeryn."

"But I need to say it."

"Whatever it is…it won't change anything between us. Whatever we had died, Aeryn. It died with the other Crichton."

"I know when I came back that it was hard for you, but I didn't know what to do John. I did what I thought was best."

"It was the right choice. You leaving was for the best. For both of us."

"You said that you believed the fates meant for us to be together."

"I don't believe in fate anymore."

"I do. You taught me to."

"It's not that easy. You can't just up and leave and expect me to be waiting for you every time you get back. I have to move on Aeryn." There was another moment of silence. He was not able to say anything. He just wanted her to go. He wanted this moment to end, but she just stood there, letting his words sink in. She was afraid to ask her next question.

"Do you still love me?"

Tears were falling down her face and it was killing him. He couldn't take this anymore. He didn't want to answer her. The answer was yes. With every beat of his heart he loved her, but he couldn't say it. "I did once."

She stared into his eyes with more hurt than he had ever seen before. She needed to go. She needed to go now. He couldn't do this to her anymore. He didn't want her to live the rest of her life thinking he had stopped loving her.

"So that's it then?"

"What more do you want Aeryn?"

"You, John. You are why I came back. I don't want to run anymore. I still love you. I never stopped. I just needed time."

"It's too late. I waited for you for as long as I could. I'm done waiting and I am asking you to leave. Please don't make this any harder."

"If it's really what you want."

"It's for the best."

"No. I want you to say it."

"Yes…it's what I want."

"Then I'll be gone within the arn." She turned to go again, but stopped with her back towards him. "This is it. If I walk away now then I will never return to Moya. I won't come back." It was her last try. If he still turned her away she would walk out of this command for good.

"I know." And there it was. The final blow. She wouldn't try anymore. It was over.

"Goodbye John." She walked away before he could answer.

Not that he could answer. He wouldn't say goodbye. Not after that. He walked toward the door and saw she was stopped right outside the tier. What she was thinking he did not know, but she was crying. He hated to see her cry. He hated to say those things. They were all lies. He would have waited for her forever. She was the love of his life. forever and always that is what she would be. He watched her take a deep breath and start back down the tier, unaware that he was watching her. He would never see her again. Four years and this was it. She would turn a corner soon and she would be gone.

He looked back down at his hands. This was for the best. He had to do this. He had to, but as she turned the corner reality hit him. She was gone for him. He took a step forward. _Don't do it John._ He took another step. _Let her go._ He closed his eyes and tried to keep himself still. _Think about her death._ But that is not where his thoughts went.

**"I, uh, I wasn't going to say goodbye."  
"Neither was I." **

"I don't know what you're talking about, but there's never been anything we couldn't overcome together."  
"Except each other."

"I am...reminded, at this point, of a word that you actually brought to this vessel, hope."  
"I would be... lost without you."  
"Then you will never be lost."

The words echoed in his head. Hope. They had lost many things over the cycles, but not that. After all they had been through was this the end? Was there no hope? His eyes opened with that last thought. There was always hope.

He started running full speed down the tier. He turned the corner and there she was again. She turned at the sound of him coming towards her. He stopped right in front of her and put his hands on her cheeks, brushing her tears away with his thumbs.

"Don't go." Damn Einstein. He would find another way. He didn't care how, but he was not letting her off this ship. Not now, not ever.

"But I thought…"

"I don't care what I said. I didn't mean it. God, I can't go through one more day with out you."

"I don't want you to."

"Stay." He kissed her forehead.

"Yes." She whispered. Their arms wrapped around each other tightly. He pressed his face into her neck, taking in the pleasing scent of her hair before moving his head to look back at her. She was smiling. Even her eyes were smiling. It was too much for him. He leaned in and brushed his nose against her cheek. She opened her lips slightly waiting for him to kiss her. Finally he pressed his lips to hers. It was soft and slow, but as his lips caressed hers it became a hard passionate exchange. His hands tightened around her. She was his again. That's all that mattered.

"You still love me." She said it more as a reassurance for herself than to him.

"Always."

"Beyond hope?"

"Beyond everything." A flash of light filled the tier.

* * *

"That was not what we discussed."

And John was back to the world of Einstein. His arms dropped as what they had been wrapped around was no longer there.

"You're going to have to find another way to fix it. I won't do that again."

"This is your problem to repair. You may have been forced into another reality, but your actions are your own fault. Taking the life of your own possibility is more serious then you will ever know."

"I didn't mean to kill him. I just wanted off the carrier."

"You were apart of the destruction that caused an entire reality to be destroyed. We expected you to repair this. We gave you the way."

"Well, you have to find another way, because I won't do that to Aeryn."

"Your reality will be affected. The trade-off has changed. To keep Aeryn Sun is to cause a negative effect. That is why we sent you back. You were to sacrifice her for the better of your reality."

"I will do whatever you want me to do, but don't ask me to give her up."

"There is no other way."

"Then whatever I changed is going to happen. I will not do that to her again. I don't care what you want me to do, but if the only way for me to have her is to live with whatever I changed then so be it."

"We will uphold you to that. What you have caused will be your responsibility."

"Fine."

"You do not know what you are agreeing to. A war is coming. A war you have caused."

"A war between who?"

"That will not be revealed to you yet. But you will be the deciding factor. We leave the choice to you."

"What choice?"

"You will know when the time comes."

"Can we be a little less with the cryptic dren?"

"The future must remain unseen in your eyes."

"So what, you send me back and I wait for this war?"

"Yes. You will still be sent back to the day you were crystallized."

"But this time I don't let it happen."

"Negative. It must. You have created a never-ending cycle. For you to be here right now, you must be crystallized and Draforn must intercept your pieces."

"Wait hold on. You want me to go through that again?"

"No. As the event that caused you to go back and change an event must occur a cycle is created. You must meet Draforn, you must go through the reality and Aeryn Sun must die. That is elementary for this exact moment."

"I have to watch her die over and over for the rest of my life?"

"Negative. Time must move forward. As time circles with you reliving the same series of events, time must also move forward. This causes realities to spilt and creates another possibility. That possibility will relive everything you witnessed since you were reunited as one being. It to will make it to this point and the reality will split again. It is never-ending. It is how the first realities came to be."

"Time travel?"

"The first being to change an event in the past caused the first split in reality. With every new split another cycle starts and creates countless new realities. You have just created your own."

"But I move on?"

"Yes, the split does not actually occur until you are crystallized. Aeryn Sun and yourself must stay on the same path until that moment."

"We almost lost our child last time she was crystallized. I won't do that again."

"I assure you the way you are brought back this time will not affect the baby in that way."

"What do you mean in that way? In what way will it be affected?"

"That I cannot reveal. Aeryn Sun and the child's life will not be in any danger."

"Why do I feel like I'm not going to like what you aren't telling me?"

"You will not, but this is your choice. You caused this ripple when your refused to let Aeryn Sun leave the Leviathan. You must deal with what comes to past in your reality."

"As long as she lives."

"She will live through the coming war as it is an effect of the ripple you caused. Her death has already been placed and as we see it will not be affected. She will die when her time comes."

"That's all I want."

"I will send you back. Remember you must stay as close to the original path as the first time."

"Yeah, boat, ship, crystals…got it."

"Until we meet again."

Before John could ask what he meant by "meet again" Einstein was gone. Another flash of light and everything was gone.

* * *

Once again…and hopefully for the last time John Crichton found himself transported away. This time he was back on Moya once again, but in the bay. He remembered everything. Aeryn would join him soon before he took her down on the water planet where fate would intervene. This time it would be different. He did not know how, but he knew everything he had experienced would not happen again. It was over and would only live in his memories.

"So what exactly do you need this for?" A large smile crossed his face as he turned to see Chiana. She was using her hands to explore the boat he had found on the commerce planet, her eyes unable to see it. He had forgotten they had talked right before he and Aeryn had went down. It seemed like so long ago, after all that had happened. But there she was, the same Chiana as he had left her. No different since for her, the time he had been away did not exist. He could hardly contain himself as he walked over to the Nebari and took her into his arms.

"Crichton are you farhbot?" She asked taken back by the sudden embrace.

She couldn't see his face, or the relief it showed as he held his friend, his family.

"No, I'm just really glad to see you."

"I would say me too except I don't see much of anything." He let her go and looked into her pale eyes.

"We'll get it fixed Pip. I promise." He touched her nose with the tip of his finger and she let out her familiar giggle. He had missed that. He had missed everything so much.

"So are you going to tell me what you plan to do with this?" She asked him again.  
"Nope. It's a secret."

"He won't tell me either." Another familiar voice and another smile lit his face as he turned to his radiant Aeryn Sun.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Think I'll go…go help D'Argo in command." Chiana smiled as she left the two in the bay, feeling her way with her hands.

John watched her go before turning his attention back to Aeryn. It was almost overwhelming. In one second he was back talking to Chiana and now there was Aeryn. He was about to take her down on the boat so they could talk. Back to where it all began, but this time he had been promised she would live. That alone was more than he could ask for at the moment.

"D'Argo is lowering Moya to the water level. You going to tell me what this is about?"

"I just think we need some time to ourselves." He walked over to her and kissed her deeply. It was long and gentle as he let his hands roam around her body. She was real. It was still a shock to be holding her when he still had the memory of her death. She would never know of any of that. That secret would go to his grave.

As whatever happened to her when he lost her in the wormhole went to hers. **"It's a long story. Ask me about it later."** As he remembered the words she had spoken on the command carrier he couldn't help, but feel her loss. He would never be able to ask. The woman in his arms was Aeryn, but she would have no memory of what she had gone through.

"John? Are you alright." She pulled him out of his thoughts. He realized he had been silent.

"Perfect." He gave her another long kiss.

"What was that for?"  
"I keep losing you and it has made me see that I don't do that as often as I should." He was referring to her death, but she didn't know that. He knew she would be thinking of Katratzi.

"Now, if you are ready I want you all to myself."

"You have me all to yourself." They were alone in the bay, but that is not what he meant.

"We'll be interrupted. We are always interrupted."

"And we won't be down there." She referred to the water planet Dee was about to drop them onto. It was almost funny considering he knew the answer to that was yes.

"Maybe, but I'll chance that." He led her over to the wooden vessel and let his hand slide from hers as she walked toward the hanger door. Here they go. He was going to have to play it all like he had. Like he didn't know what she was going to say to him down there. He watched her as the transport door opened and the sunlight spilled into the bay and another smile came over him. It would be different this time. He would have a chance to live the life with her they had been denied just arns ago. It wouldn't be easy. It never was for them and he knew why. A war was coming, but he couldn't help think it was worth it. He didn't know what the future held for him beyond that or how he was going to fix it, but he would. He would because she was his and it was his job to protect her. He hadn't been able to before, but he had the chance to try again. Whatever was coming he would deal with it, but not now. Now was all about her.

He let his hand slip into his pocket and play with his mother's ring. No, the war would have to wait. Right now he had a question to ask.

**THE END**

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Yea! Hope you liked it. Reviews make me feel special! 


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